Right Here Waiting
by butterflyKisses26
Summary: Sequel to CONNECTED. It's been ten years since Chloe last saw Sark and now she has moved on with her life and started a family. But what happens when Sark returns and his presence threatens to tear apart her new life?
1. Letters

Disclaimer: No I do not own Alias or anything affiliated with it. I do own this story and any original characters.

Author's Note: Well folks the time has come to release the much anticipated sequel to Connected. I thought it only fitting to publish the sequel on the same day that the new ALIAS season started, which is why I waited so long to put this story out. Having waited to post this, it has given me time to write a couple of chapters, which is good for all you readers out there since it will mean that there won't be too long to wait between the first few chapters. I hope that you all enjoy this story as much as you enjoyed Connected, and will give me your honest opinions in all reviews. I must warn you though, if you have _not _read Connected, then I advise you to do so because you might get a little bit lost. Now, without further ado, the story you have all been waiting for.

****

Right Here Waiting

Prologue- **Letters**

March 16, 2011

Dearest Julian,

I can't believe it's been only two weeks since all of this has happened. It's so hard to imagine that only fourteen days have passed since we were last together. I miss you terribly.

Mom and dad have been acting really weird around me. They didn't bother to chastise me about running off with you. Me thinks they're worried I'll run off again J.

Life is progressing as if I never left. I'm back in classes, and am set to graduate in only a few more months! Can you believe it! Mom and dad have already told me that they're sending me to Paris for my graduation present. I think it's partially because they don't want me to be moping around thinking of you. Little do they know that it was to Paris that we fled. I can't wait to once again see the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful moonlit streets that we walked hand in hand.

My parents say it's not a good idea, but I want to see you Julian. There is something that I absolutely **must** tell you. But it cannot be said in a letter. If you don't want to see me, please tell me. I'm hoping that you will want to though because I am absolutely aching to see you.

Well, I have to go to class. Physics, yuck, but it must be learned. Don't ask me why, but my professor seems to think that it will be very important for me to learn. When the hell am I going to use physics in writing a novel? Anyway, I should go now. I love you Julian.

Yours forever,

Chloe

>>>>>

April 20, 2011

Dear Julian,

I guess you don't want to see me. I would have liked to hear that in a letter than from no letter at all though. I hope nothing happened to make it so that you could not reply. No, I take that back. Something happening to you would be easier to bear than you simply not caring enough to write back.

Graduation approaches. Just three more weeks than I'll be jetting off to Paris and, get this, staying in the very hotel that we stayed in during our time there! I wonder if I'll be staying in the same suite?

Classes are going well. I passed my latest physics test, just barely though. Really nothing exciting happens here, unless you can count the unfortunate kidnapping of a young woman by the name of Chloe Vaughn only a few months ago.

I still wish to see you Julian. Please, **please** write me back and tell me I can see you. I'm begging you Julian. There is something I need to tell you. It's very important.

Waiting impatiently,

Chloe

>>>>>

June 1, 2011

Dear Julian,

Graduation has come and gone and I am now writing you from my hotel suite over looking Paris. I'm staying only one floor down from what I have come to call our suite. Looking at it alone, the Eiffel Tower is not the same. Paris seems empty without you here to tell me about its history and show me all the sites. But you aren't here, and that is something that I have to live with.

Why did you not respond to my last letter? Is that too something that I must live with? The knowledge that you do not care enough to respond to my letters? I guess you have forgotten me, as that is the only answer I can come up with. But that is okay, I have resigned myself to the fact that you will not write me back and I shall go on with my life.

Waiting without hope,

Chloe

>>>>>

January 15, 2012

Julian,

I don't know why I'm writing this letter when I know that you won't respond, but I must tell you the news I have. I have finished my first book and, after three months out, it is already on the best seller's list! I am so happy that I cannot contain myself. Every time I walk into a bookstore I search for my book and it feels so good to see it there, in a hardcover with **my** name on it! I can't believe that I've finally done it.

Well, I just wanted to tell you that. So, whenever you get out go and find my book. I promise you'll like it.

Chloe

>>>>>

October 20, 2017

Sark,

This will be the last letter I ever write you. To be honest I don't know why I've persisted over the last five years. Maybe because it was nice just to write down my thoughts, kind of like a journal but with somebody else reading what I write. But this is absolutely to be the last letter I ever pen.

I'm getting married in a week. I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe some part of me still hopes that you will, at last, pick up a pen and write me, plead with me to not go through with it and declare your undying love for me. But I know it's no use.

My fiancé is really nice and mom and dad love him. Frankly I think they're just glad that I'm finally moving on with my life and putting you and our affair behind me. So with this I say good-bye. I wish you luck Sark.

Chloe

>>>>>

I am _so_ evil. Lol. I hope you enjoyed this first installment of what, I hope, will be a terrific sequel. Please review and tell me what you thought.

PS. Sorry it was so short.


	2. Crystal Clear

**Author's Note: I can't believe how well this story is being accepted. I was so happy to see that a lot of the reviews I recieved for the first chapter were from people who had been so loyal to me while I was writing Connected. I hope that you all will stick with me and be as loyal as you were during that story. Thank you.**

Chapter One- **Crystal Clear**

Sark lay on his cot, staring up at the same gray ceiling that he had been staring at for the last ten years. Yes, ten years he had been locked away in this hell of a prison. No visitors, no contact with the outside world whatsoever. Sure he got a few newspapers to keep him occupied and he was allowed out onto the prison yard for a couple hours everyday. But other than that his life was a meaningless cycle of monotonous activities.

Feeling under his mattress he pulled Chloe's last letter out and held it up over his head so that he could read it. It had been five years since she sent that letter. The one that tore his heart to pieces. She was married. Even now the words cut him. Of course he had written her, nearly every day he had written her, asking her to come and see him. So why did she insist that he had not written her?

That question had plagued Sark for years and caused many sleepless nights. He loved Chloe more than he could ever have loved anyone. He wanted her with him; he wanted her to wait for him. He had written her after that last letter, doing exactly what she was hoping for, begging her not to marry whoever this man was that had stolen her from him.

There must have been someone stopping his letters from going through though, because Chloe had never written him to tell Sark her wedding was off and that she would wait for him. But who would do that? The answer was easy wasn't it? Vaughn and Sydney never wanted their daughter to get involved with Sark. They never thought he was good enough for her. Okay so what if he was an international terrorist and he had caused the Vaughn's more than their fair share of trouble? He was different now. Chloe had changed him. But they wouldn't see that. Obviously it had been them that stopped his letters from getting to Chloe. It was the only answer.

Sark let his hand drop down to his chest where the letter fell over his heart. A heavy sigh ripped from deep within him, resounding in the small cell. Justice had been done. First he had locked Chloe in a cell, and now here he was, locked in one of his own.

Footsteps sounded from a few feet away and Sark looked up at the clear plastic that separated him from the guards. A tall black man stopped in front of his cell, looking down at him with disdain in his eyes.

"Mr. Dixon," Sark said in a sarcastically sweet voice, "to what do I owe this pleasure?" Marcus Dixon's jaw clenched tightly. He clearly did not want to be there.

"The United States government has decided to grant you a pardon Mr. Sark." Dixon bit out; "In exchange for your services the CIA will release you."

"Interesting." Sark said. His excitement was hard to control, but control it he did. By staring up at the ceiling he was able to calm himself slightly. If Dixon saw how desperately he wanted out of prison, there would be hell to pay. "And exactly what type of 'services' will the CIA be needing?"

"We're ready to shut down the Covenant." Dixon said, "But there are…complications that we need you to help with."

"How soon will I be released?" Sark asked, sitting up slowly. He needed to control himself, but it was so hard.

"I'm having the papers drawn up now." Dixon said, "As soon as you are released you will be assigned a handler."

"And who will that be?" He asked, his eyebrow arched in question.

"Sydney Vaughn."

* * *

A steady _tap tapping_ filled the small office. Chloe looked over what she had written; absent-mindedly stroking the ring that was nestled in the hollow of her neck. With a sigh she backspaced over what she had written and sat back in her chair.

Why was she having such a hard time with this latest book? She needed the rough draft in two weeks or else she would be in serious trouble with her publishing company. Her editor was expecting this to be her greatest work and Chloe did not want to disappoint the man that had taken her under his wing. She bit her lip, her fingers drumming slowly on the desk. She continued to finger the ring, spinning it on its chain and hooking her finger in it.

"Damn it!" she cried, slamming her laptop shut. Soft giggling came from the doorway to her office. Chloe spun around. Her daughter stood there, her bright blond ringlets bouncing as suppressed laughter traveled through her body.

Looking at her daughter made Chloe's heart break. The young girl brought back memories that she wished she could put behind her. A time, a person that no longer existed to her. But if he was so dead to her, then why did she wear his ring around her neck? The cold metal resting against her throat caused a lump of guilt to rise in her throat.

"And what is so funny little miss?" she asked, trying to block the painful memories of letters unanswered from her mind.

"You said damn." The girl chuckled hiding her cherry red mouth behind a slim porcelain hand.

"And that's a word only me and your father can say." Chloe scolded her daughter, "So don't let me catch you repeating it." The child smiled. "Come here you." she opened her arms and her daughter flew into them, hugging her little arms around Chloe tightly. "I love you munchkin." She whispered in her daughter's ear.

"I love you too mom."

* * *

It seemed as if millions of ten-year-old girls were running around her house, Chloe knew that there were only five, but man did they make a lot of noise. She couldn't help but smile though as all five ran into the kitchen, looking up at her, or rather the cake she was frosting, with eager eyes.

"Not yet girls." She said, "This cake won't be ready for awhile."

"Come on mom." Her daughter whined, "Can't we have the cake now? It is my birthday after all." Chloe rolled her eyes at the pitiful look her daughter was giving her. It was so much like _his._

"Not until your father gets home." Chloe reprimanded her. As if on cue the front door opened and a booming voice floated through the room.

"Where's my birthday girl?"

"Daddy!" the birthday girl launched herself at her father, landing in his open arms with a giggle. Chloe smiled as she watched her husband and daughter embrace. He placed the girl down on the floor and then walked over to Chloe and kissed her gently on the lips. Giggles erupted all around them. Chloe pulled away from her husband's embrace.

"Why don't you take your friends outside and play on the trampoline for a little while Paris?" she said to her daughter, who was giggling the loudest. As soon as the girls were gone Chloe wrapped her arms around her husband, pulling his body into hers.

"Now," she said, "where were we?"

* * *

Sark winced slightly as the handcuffs were taken off his wrists. He'd only worn them for a short time, but they had still dug into his skin, causing it to become raw to the touch. He looked up at Sydney who was looking at him with clear hatred.

"Mrs. Vaughn," he said, a slight smirk playing at his lips, "it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Save it Sark." Sydney snapped, her eyes blazing. She nodded her head towards the door and the men that had escorted Sark from his cell turned and left. Once they were gone Sydney looked at him once more. "I didn't want the CIA to let you free, and I didn't want this job as your handler. But, as long as you are free, I want you where I can keep an eye on you."

"How very nice of you." Sark replied sarcastically. Sydney glared and marched over to where he stood. She stood, inches from him and stared him down.

"Let's get one thing straight Sark." She seethed, "As long as you are free to roam, you are to stay away from Chloe. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

* * *

Yet another chapter finished.Please reviewand tell me what you thought.

le Citron: I was hoping that someone would pick up on the subtle hints I placed in the letters :), and thank you for the compliment, it meant a lot.

Crazy-VampireSlayer, moni, Sarks-Girl-89, Natalie, Mina, Triple Agent, Marie, and M.B: Thank you all for reviewing the first chapter. I hope that you all will continue to read and review.


	3. Just Another Manac Monday

Chapter Two- **Just Another Manic Monday**

Many times Chloe had wondered what would have happened if Sark had stayed in her life, if he hadn't turned himself into the CIA as she had wanted. Would they still be together, raising their daughter as a happy family? Or would they have called it quits and never seen each other again? Either way, Chloe wished that she could have had the chance to find out. Often times while she was pregnant she would lie awake in her bed and imagine he was there, lying beside her, his hand on her stomach, feeling the child that grew inside her. As their daughter grew, Chloe would pretend Sark was there, pushing the little girl on the swing or running around with her on his shoulders. Whatever the situation, she had imagined it.

Then she met Derrick Mitchell. Derrick took courses at the community college that Chloe attended once a week as she earned her Master's degree in English. He was taking a small business class that they offered on the same night Chloe was there. They had met in the break room where they both had gone for the last bag of Doritos in the vending machine. Their relationship had started slow. Just a little bit of witty banter in the break room, then they upgraded to actual dates, then, after a year, became engaged.

It was hard at first for Chloe to let go of her dreams of Sark coming back and reclaiming the role he had once held in her life. But she soon realized that he was not coming back, and that she had to move on with her life. She had to do what was best for her and Paris.

But it wasn't all that easy. Too many times Chloe had thought of Sark as she kissed Derrick or made love to him. Maybe it would have been easier if she had been able to carry Derrick's child, but they had never been able to conceive.

She felt as if she were cheating her husband out of the life he deserved. Yes she loved him, but Sark still plagued her mind. She constantly found herself comparing the two men to one another. And Sark always won out in the end. He had been her first love after all, and, she believed, her true love. She never told Derrick about Sark, he didn't need to know about that time in her life. The only thing he knew about the English man was that he had been Paris's father, that was all. Chloe felt no need to bring up the fact that she had been, and possibly still was, in love with him.

* * *

"What are you still doing up?" Derrick asked Chloe, kissing the top of her head as he stood above her and rubbed her shoulders slowly.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, her fingers moving across the keyboard of her computer as she looked up at him. "I thought maybe I'd try and get some work done."

"Are you still stuck?" he asked. Chloe nodded sleepily. The rhythmic motion of his hands was slowly relaxing her muscles and causing her to become drowsy.

"I know what it is I want to say, it's just how to say it." she mumbled, her eyes scanning the words she had written. She highlighted the paragraph she'd written and backspaced on it, erasing it from the screen. Derrick kissed her cheek softly, his lips brushing feather soft against her skin.

"You'll figure it out," he said with more confidence than Chloe felt, "you always do." She smiled up at him.

"You go to bed," she said, "I'll be in in a minute."

"Okay," he said, leaning down to kiss her lips, "don't take too long."

* * *

"Mom!" Paris's voice brought Chloe out of her deep sleep. "Mom wake up!" Chloe rolled over on her stomach and buried her head under a pillow. She may be awake, but that didn't mean she had to get up. "Mom I can't find my other shoe." A pair of small hands started shaking her furiously. "Come on mom, I know you're awake." Paris whined.

Chloe groaned. Why couldn't she get just ten more minutes of sleep? She pushed herself up and turned over onto her back. Opening her eyes slightly she stared up into the wide eyes of her daughter.

"The bus is gonna be here soon and I can't find my other shoe." Paris said, trying to pull Chloe up out of bed. "I need you to find it for me."

"Did you check under your bed?" she asked sleepily, letting her eyes fall shut once more.

"Yes, and it's not there." her daughter whined.

"Have daddy try and find it for you." Chloe said, turning over on her side and trying to fall back asleep.

"Daddy's on the phone and he said not to bother him." Paris persisted, going back to shaking Chloe. Groaning, Chloe sat up, her hair falling around her face in disarray.

"Okay." she sighed, pushing the covers off herself weakly, "let's see if we can't find that shoe."

* * *

Derrick worked from home every Monday. It was the day that the couple had set aside as their own since they were married. Paris always went over to a friends on Mondays to do homework and play, leaving the house empty and quiet for the two adults to do whatever was needed. Often times they just sat around reading in the living room, simply enjoying each other's company. But sometimes they spent the day being romantic, locked away in the bedroom without the fear of interruption. Whatever they did, Chloe simply enjoyed her husband's company and being able to be alone with him.

Chloe sat at her desk, working on her book and waiting for Derrick to get off the phone. She was busy editing what she had written when she felt a warm kiss on the back of her neck. Derrick's hands slid over her arms, caressing her skin softly. Chloe smiled and saved what she had done before closing her laptop and looking up at her husband. He kissed her passionately. This would be a romantic Monday, Chloe could feel it.

Shivers ran down her spine as he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. She stood on her tip-toes and pulled his face to hers, kissing him soundly. Derrick kissed his way down her neck and over her shoulder, pushing the thin strap of her tank top off her shoulder. Chloe moaned as his lips continued to torture her. Derrick pulled away from her, leaving Chloe feeling cold and aching for his kisses. Stooping down he picked her up, causing her to giggle like a school girl.

"Put me down Devin." she play whined as he carried her down the hall to their bedroom.

"Are you sure?" He asked, playing along. Chloe nodded. They had entered their bedroom now and he was making his way towards the large bed they shared. With an impish grin Devin dropped her on their bed. Chloe landed with a giggle that was quickly silenced by her husband's lips. She could feel his weight cover her, his hands move over her body with a seductive slowness, sending chills through her body. There was one thing Chloe had to say about Devin, he sure knew how to please a woman.

* * *

It was dark out, there was no moon out, and the stars shone dimly across the parking lot. Sark stepped out of the car that he had rented and made his way towards the store. Even though it was close to midnight, the large Barnes and Nobel was still open, the lights inside spilling out of the large windows across the store's front. He opened the door, the metal cold against his skin.

"Can I help you?" a sales girl was by his side the instant he stepped through the door.

"I'm looking for a book," he said stupidly. Sark really didn't know why he was here. The sales girl smiled at him, laughter sparkling in her green eyes.

"Any specific book?" she asked him.

"I don't know the title," he said, "but it's by Chloe Vaughn."

"I know exactly what you're looking for." the girl said, leading him down rows of books until they reached a shelf of young adult books. She searched the shelves for a second before pulling out the book Sark wanted. The cover showed the profile of a teenaged girl and a photo of a boy that she held in her hands. There was a single tear glistening in the girl's eye. The title read; Forever in Your Arms, in bold red letters.

"This is one of my favorites." she said handing it to Sark. He studied the cover some more. The girl on the book bore a striking resemblance to Chloe. His heart lurched at the thought. At the very bottom of the cover was Chloe's name. Sark couldn't help the smile that crept up his face.

_You did it Chloe, _he thought, _you actually did it.

* * *

Sorry the chapter was so short, but the first few chapters are gonna be kinda short until I get the story going. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will review._

Total Vaughn Lover: I am glad you are enjoying the story and I hope that you will read Connected so that you aren't so lost anymore. Also, thanks for the review.

Marie, Sarks-Girl-89, Moni, sarkalias12, Spymantha, reader, M.B, Natalie, flying cow, Crazy-VamipreSlayer, Eyghon, csk8-20, and Triple Agent: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. It means a lot to me.


	4. One cold and stormy night

Chapter Three- **One Cold and Stormy Night…**

_The summer sun hit the pavement with melting heat, causing the ground to look as if it were swirling beneath their feet. She stood there, by the side of the road, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, not wanting to let him go._

_"I'll be back." he promised, his words brushing softly against her tear stained cheek._

_"Why do you have to go?" she asked. A tear fell down her face and he brushed it away with his thumb._

_"Because I said I would," he ducked down so that he was eye to eye with her, "and I always keep my promises." He kissed her lips lovingly, causing her knees to buckle. She held tightly, savoring the feel and taste of his lips, letting his kiss burn itself in her memory. All too soon he pulled away and climbed onto his bike. She watched as he revved the engine and took off down the quiet street._

_Tears streamed down her face. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the feeling of being in his arms fresh. She held his promise close to her heart, and knew that he would be back. The only question was, when._

Sark sighed and placed the book down beside him on the bed.

Though written about teenagers, the story was so similar to what had transpired between himself and Chloe. It was slightly eerie to read about a character whose personality was so close to his own it was like looking in the mirror.

Against his will, Sark's mind conjured up an image of Chloe. He remembered the way she looked at the airport, the last time he had ever seen her.

He wished that their lives could have been different. He wished that he had never grown attached to the young woman. But he had and, no matter how much he wanted to, Sark could not change the past or how he felt about Chloe.

Sark closed his eyes and laid down on his bed, which was located in the safe house that the CIA had moved him to. Memories of Chloe and their time together flooded his mind. He could remember the way her skin felt and the way she smelled. He recalled the way she tilted her head when she was thinking or getting ready to kiss him. He could hear clearly the way her voice sounded after they made love, husky and low.

Now some other man was kissing Chloe, touching her soft skin, and loving her. Some other man was making her weak in the knees, causing her voice to turn into the husky voice he loved to hear. The thought of Chloe being intimate with someone else made Sark ill.

The door of the safe house suddenly opened then slammed shut. Sark had just enough time to slide Chloe's book under the bed before Sydney stood over him, looking at him with unbridled contempt.

"Mrs. Vaughn, how nice to see you." he drawled, looking up at her through half closed eyes.

"Get up." Sydney snapped.

"You forgot to say please." Sark smirked. Like a flash of lightening, Sydney reached down, grabbed the collar of Sark's shirt, and hauled him to his feet.

"Please." she growled in a low, threatening voice. Angrily, Sark pushed Sydney's hands off him and straightened his shirt. The two enemies stood staring at each other.

"As much as I enjoy this staring match," Sark said, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen around them, "I'm sure you came here for a reason."

"Where is it?" Sydney asked. Sark played dumb.

"Where is what?" He cocked one eyebrow and looked at her questioningly.

"You know we track your movements Sark," Sydney eyed him, "and you know that everything you bring into this safe house has to be approved by me or another agent. Now where is it?" She stared him down, trying to make him feel uneasy. But Sark wasn't going to play her game. He simply stood there, his mouth in a tight, angry line.

The tension in the room was thick, but neither adversary was going to give an inch.

"I know you have something Sark, it'll only be a matter of time before I find it anyway, so why don't you just give it to me?" Sydney's voice was cold, and the look in her eyes even colder.

"Why are you so interested in what I am reading Mrs. Vaughn?" Sark asked, cocking his head just slightly in the way he knew would drive Sydney crazy.

"I know you have her book Sark. Why else would you have gone to a bookstore? And I know you still have feelings for her."

"And just who are we talking about here?"

"I've read the letters Sark," Sydney was becoming annoyed, "Why else do you think I kept them from Chloe? She had to move on with her life, she had to get over you. You weren't good for her." Her voice had grown louder and louder with each word. Sark felt his anger surge up within him. So it had been Sydney who kept his letters from getting to Chloe.

"You had no right to read those." He yelled at her, "Those were personal."

"When it comes to my daughter I have every right!" Sydney yelled back. The room grew quiet. Then Sydney added in a much quieter, but still threatening tone, "She's doing good now Sark. _Don't _mess it up."

* * *

Humming contentedly, Chloe stirred the spaghetti sauce, watching bubbles rise to the top before popping. The smell of garlic bread filled the kitchen, making her mouth water as she drained the noodles in the sink and set the table for dinner. The house was quiet, Paris was working on some homework back in her room, and Devin was working on a spreadsheet to show to his investors. Chloe flipped on the radio and began to quietly sing along with the song that was playing. She didn't know it that well, so she made up some of her own words along the way.

The ringing of the telephone and the loud, annoying beep of the oven timer sounded at the same time.

"I got it!" Devin called from the room they used as an office. The ringing stopped, and Chloe pushed the button to turn off the timer before pulling the bread out of the oven. A few minutes later Devin came into the kitchen, pulling on his jacket and trying to keep a hold of his briefcase.

"That was James." he said, fixing the collar of his jacket, "there's some kind of problem with the books and they need me to come in and take a look at it. I also have my meeting with the investors tonight, so I probably won't be home 'til late." He kissed her cheek gently. "Don't wait up for me."

"I won't." Chloe replied with a smirk, a habit that had stayed with her since the Affair, as she had come to call her time with Sark. Devin chuckled and kissed her lovingly.

"I love you." he said, his breath warm against her lips.

"I love you too." Chloe smiled and pushed him towards the door, "now go before James winds up putting us in the poor house." Devin kissed her one last time before heading out the door.

* * *

Dinner was over and the dishes had been washed and put away. Chloe sat on the couch reading while Paris lay on the floor watching television. It was dark out, and the only light inside the house was that from the TV and the lamp that sat on the end table beside the couch. Rain splattered in large drops against the window and the wind whipped around the house, making eerie whistling noises.

"Hey mom," Paris said looking up from her show, some news report about the rising rate of adoption. Chloe never questioned why Paris liked watching the news, it was just nice that she didn't have to worry about her daughter watching things that she shouldn't.

"What?" Chloe looked at her daughter over the edge of her book.

"Do you ever think about dad?" The girl asked.

"Of course I think about my husband." Chloe replied.

"No, I mean my real dad." Paris looked at her with wide, inquisitive eyes. Chloe felt shaken. Of course she thought about Sark. As much as she didn't want to, and as much as she tried to put him from her mind, at least one thought popped into her head every day.

"No," she lied. Her voice sounded fake to her own ears and she hoped that Paris wouldn't pick up on it. "No I don't think about him. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Paris shrugged her shoulders, looking downcast, "I just was wondering about him. You know, what he was like and all that."

"Oh." Chloe didn't know that Paris thought about her father. She didn't know that her daughter wanted to know about the man that had stolen Chloe's heart and refused to give it back.

"What…what do you want to know about him?" She didn't want to get into it, but if Paris wanted to know, Chloe had to tell her.

"I don't know," Paris said, sitting up and looking at Chloe with those vivid blue eyes of hers. "Just…what he was like. You know, was he nice or a jerk? Did he treat you like a princess? Did you two love each other?"

Chloe took in a deep, calming breath. She wanted to tell Paris, really she did. But she couldn't. It hurt her to just think about her past with Sark.

She held her arms out to Paris, inviting the girl to come sit with her. Paris got up and climbed into her mother's lap.

"I did love him," she said to the young girl, "I loved him very much. And he was nice, very nice actually once you got past his tough exterior and the walls he had set up around himself."

"Was he handsome?" Paris smirked. Chloe's heart jumped into her throat. When Paris smirked she looked _just_ like Sark.

"Yes," Chloe hugged her daughter tightly, "he was _very_ handsome."

"Do you wish he hadn't left us?" the question was innocent, but it shook Chloe to the core.

"No," she lied, "no, I'm quite happy with the life I have now and I wouldn't change it. I love daddy and he loves me." Paris nodded her head, seemingly happy with the answers she had received. She climbed back onto the floor and settled in to watch a re-run of Friends, which had just come on.

* * *

Rain fell down in sheets from the sky, soaking through his clothes and making him shiver. It was cold rain, and the wind that whipped across the ground did nothing to help.

He still didn't know why he was here. Sydney had given him strict instructions to stay away, but since when did Julian Sark listen to orders? Sark knew there would be hell to pay when he returned to the safe house, the cold metal that was locked around his ankle would make sure of that. But he had to see her, just once. He had to be sure that she no longer felt for him what she once had.

Sark stood there, staring at the door, letting the rain soak further into his skin. His teeth chattered and his hands shook, whether from nervousness or the cold he didn't know. Sighing resolutely he reached up and rang the door bell.

* * *

Chloe looked up at the sound of the doorbell. Paris glanced briefly over her shoulder, but quickly turned back to her show.

"Who could be out in this weather?" Chloe asked herself as she stood and walked to the door. It certainly wasn't Devin. He had said that he wouldn't be back until late at night and besides, he would have just walked in or used his key.

Chloe turned the knob and opened the door.

* * *

Oh am I evil or what? Lol. I just love leaving you all in suspense for what is going to happen next. At least this time the chapter was longer. Hope ya liked it.

le Citron: Thank you so much for the amazing compliment. It really meant a lot to me.

Triple Agent, wisechild, freakygirl, Marie, Sarks-Girl-89, Moni, Masta D, csk8-20, and Eyghon: I want to thank all of you for reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot when people take the time to tell mehow much they enjoyedmy story.


	5. A ghost from her past returned

Chapter Four - **…A ghost from her past returned**

He stood there, the rain beading upon his eyelashes like hundreds of tiny diamonds, looking as handsome and sexy as Chloe remembered. Her heart did back-flips inside her rib cage and she found it difficult to speak around the lump that had formed in her throat. The wind sent freezing rain through the door and made it hit against Chloe, but she felt nothing. Her body was numb under Sark's gaze and she found herself unable to move, to speak, unable to even blink. His eyes held hers, hypnotizing her with the unrelenting power he held over her.

"Mom?" Paris's voice broke through the thick fog that covered Chloe's mind. "Who is it mom?" Chloe looked over her shoulder at her daughter.

"It's no one sweetie," she heard herself saying, though she could not recall ever thinking the words, "Why don't you go and get ready for bed, okay sweetheart?" Paris tried to see over her mother's shoulder, but Chloe made sure to keep Sark blocked from her view. Or was it that she was trying to block Paris from Sark's sight?

"Okay." Paris turned and walked into the back of the house. Chloe made sure that her daughter was out of earshot before turning back towards Sark.

"What…what are you doing here?" She asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well right now I'm on the brink of catching hypothermia," Sark's smirk and joking tone seemed strained, as if they were forced.

"Jul-" Chloe caught herself saying his name, the one that meant so much, the private, personal one that was only used by those closest to the man. "Sark," she started again, trying not to notice his slight wince at the cold, formal use of his last name. "You can't be..."

"May I come in Chloe?" he asked. His voice was gentle as he spoke her name, and Chloe had to close her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling down her face. She had waited so long for him to come back to her, but why did he have to come back now that she was married? When she opened her eyes once more she saw the slight shiver that ran through his body.

"Yes," she said quietly, "you can come in." She stepped out of the way, her eyes glued to the floor, refusing to look at him. She refused to be drawn in by the way the rain had plastered his simple black button-up shirt against his body, or the way his eyes looked at her, as if no time had passed since they were last together.

He took a step inside and Chloe took in a deep breath, trying to fight the feelings that overwhelmed her being. Drops of water fell from his hairline down his face and Sark wiped at them with the soaked sleeve of his shirt, which did little to help.

"I'll get you something to dry off with." Chloe said, eager for a chance to put distance between herself and Sark. She walked through the living room and into the hallway where she grabbed a bath towel from the linen closet. When she walked back into the living room she saw that Sark had moved there from the entrance way and was now looking at the photos that lined the mantle place.

"Here," she shoved the towel under his nose as he reached for a framed photograph of Paris.

"Thank you." He replied, taking the towel from her, his fingers brushing every so slightly against her own. A familiar shiver ran down Chloe's spine, but she ignored it, or did her best to do so. She looked away from him as he dried off, trying to collect her thoughts and emotions. Chloe had to get him out of her house and fast. If she didn't she would go crazy and perhaps do something that she should not.

"How old is she?" She turned back around to face him and wished that she hadn't as soon as she saw that he had shed his shirt. The water that had soaked through his shirt glistened against his chest in the dim light cast by the one lamp that was on. Chloe felt every bit of her body tingle and memories flooded her brain. She drew in a deep breath and bit her lip, making herself focus on the picture of Paris that he held in his hands.

"She's ten." Chloe said. She didn't even have the strength to lie to him. Her resolve was that weak. Her eyes wandered, of their own accord, to his chiseled abs.

_He obviously hasn't let himself go_, she thought. Instantly she administered a mental slap to her brain. _No_, she though_, you are married Chloe. Think of Devin, you know, your husband. Oh god, why does he have to look so damn good?_ _No, stop it._

Sark's eyes widened and he looked at her in confusion.

"Ten?" He said. Chloe met his gaze head on, trying to convey the truth to him. "You mean…" he looked back down at the photo.

"She's just like you," Chloe said, taking the photo from Sark's hands and staring at her daughter's…_their _daughter's, smiling face. "Even has your eyes." She looked up at him.

"I have a daughter." he whispered, his voice unbelieving. Chloe nodded. "What's her name?"

Chloe closed her eyes, silently asking for the strength to continue going. She didn't want to get into their past together, but it was something that she had to deal with sooner or later.

"Paris."

* * *

She hadn't aged a day, not in all of ten years had Chloe so much as gained another laugh line around her mouth. Looking at her, silhouetted by the soft light of a lamp, Sark couldn't help but feel that he had stepped back into time. A time when he could still call Chloe his. Sark's first impulse was to grab her and kiss her, let her know that he still loved her, still cared for her. But something stopped him, perhaps it was the glint of the silver ring that claimed ownership of her ring finger, or perhaps it was something else, some self-restraint that Sark didn't know he had.

Chloe let him into the house, leaving him in the entrance way so that she could get him a towel to dry off with. He knew he didn't have permission, but still Sark wandered into the living room. A large photograph over the fireplace caught his eye. It was Chloe, dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, her head placed lovingly on the shoulder of a man that Sark did not know. Sark looked away from the picture, it hurt him to look at it, and his eyes were caught by another picture. This one a young blond girl with blue eyes and a dazzling smile…Chloe's smile. It had to be the little girl who had come to the door earlier, the one that Chloe had shielded from his sight. She hadn't wanted him to see her. But why?

A towel thrust under his nose kept Sark from reaching for the photograph of the young girl. He looked at Chloe as he dried off, but her back was turned to him. She refused to look at him. He couldn't blame her. For him to reappear so suddenly in her life. He had known that she wouldn't take it well, but still he insisted on coming there. Sark took his shirt off. It was too cold with it on, even in the warm, cozy house. When he spoke again, Chloe turned to look at him and he saw her eyes go instantly to his chest. She always had been fascinated by his muscles and he couldn't help but smirk inwardly, knowing that to do so outwardly would only incur Chloe's wrath.

Ten years old, that could only mean one of two things. Either Chloe had hooked up with the next loser to come around her or the child was his own, conceived while they had been in Paris. It turned out that the latter was true. He looked back at the picture and could see it, the resemblance between the young girl and him. She had his eyes, just like Chloe said, and he could even see traces of a smirk inside her smile. Yes, she was definitely his daughter.

"She's beautiful." he said. "She has your smile."

"No," Chloe shook her head, "no she's all you." Silence fell over them as they looked at the picture. Not a comfortable silence, but neither an uncomfortable one. Instead it was a silence that allowed the two to convey all that they were thinking and feeling without uttering a word.

A daughter, the thought seemed foreign to Sark. He never imagined in all his years that he would ever father a child.

"I want you to do me a favor Sark." Chloe's voice broke through the odd silence.

"Anything." he said, looking into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes, Sark wanted to look into them all day and night.

"I want you to stay away from Paris. She doesn't know about you and…and I don't want her to." Chloe looked away from him and Sark felt his heart drop.

* * *

"Why?" he sounded so hurt. Chloe felt her heart break at his tone, but she could not falter now.

"Because things are good now." She said, suddenly finding her socks very interesting. "Devin is the only father she needs. So please, just…" she sighed heavily, "just stay away."

"If that's what you want." Sark's voice was clipped, his tone cold.

"It is."

"Okay then, I'll just be going." He pulled his shirt on and let himself out. Chloe heard the door slam shut and her knees gave out. The tears that she had been holding back flooded down her cheeks in torrents. She rocked back and forth on her knees, hugging herself tightly and letting the tears fall.

* * *

The sheets were tucked tightly around her body, but still Chloe felt chilled to the bone. She heard the front door open and shut quietly and gentle footsteps make their way down the hall. The bedroom door creaked open and she felt Devin's familiar weight settle on the opposite end of the bed.

"Hey," she whispered, hoping her voice didn't sound tear logged.

"You didn't have to wait up." Devin whispered back, leaning down to kiss her.

"I couldn't sleep anyway." she said, watching as he stripped out of his clothes and settled into bed in his boxers. His arm found its way around her waist and he hugged her tightly to him. The heat of his body felt good against her skin.

"How did your meeting go?" she asked.

"Not too bad." he said, trailing soft kisses down her neck. Chloe felt the heavy weight of guilt on her chest, making it difficult for her to breath.

Devin's hands moved over her body, but the guilt made Chloe feel ill. She turned away from him and lay on her side. She could feel his disappointment and confusion, but she couldn't help the shame she felt. She couldn't help feeling that she was unworthy of his touch, of his love.

Nothing had transpired between herself and Sark. They hadn't kissed and only once had their fingers so much as brushed against each other. But, deep in her heart, Chloe knew that she had committed a great sin, the sin of loving another man more than her husband.

* * *

Another chapter finished. Please review and tell me what you think.

Triple Agent: I completely forgot that Sark's assistant in Connected was named Devin! But, if you will remember, Devin was killed off in that story, so no, Chloe is not married to him.

Marie: Well, you can sleep now. :)

le Citron: You never cease to amaze me with your love for this story. Thank you so much.

Eyghon: Just you wait to see what happens when Chloe finds out the truth. (Evil laugh)

Seth's Girl, tentoesupurnose, csk8-20, jane, Masta D, Natalie, M.B, and Sarks-Girl-89: Thank you all very much for taking the time to read and review this story. It means a lot.


	6. Who's ready to play the family fued?

**I'm sorry for how long it took me to put out this chapter, but Sark's reappearance on Alias finally prompted me to continue. Didn't David Anders just look yummy in that black motorcycle jacket? Mmmm, very yummy indeed. Lol. **

**I was re-reading what I had written already in this story and I noticed that when I first made mention of Chloe's husband I called him Derrick, and then later on, in the middle of the same chapter, I called him Devin. I have changed his name back to Derrick now, and I'm sorry for any confusion that that may have caused people. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter.**

Chapter Five- **Who's Ready to Play the Family Feud? **

**"**Hurry up Chloe, we were supposed to be at your parents' house fifteen minutes ago." Derrick called into the bedroom where Chloe was getting ready.

"Sorry," she said, pulling on a pair of strappy black high-heels. "Guess I'm just slow today." Usually it was Chloe who was ready early and rushing the other members of her small family to get ready to go.

"Do you have Dad's present?" she asked, picking up her purse and cell-phone.

"Got it." Derrick held up a wrapped back.

"Okay then," she straightened her pink silk blouse, "let's go."

* * *

"Grandma!" Paris flung herself at her grandmother the second the older woman opened the door. 

"It's good to see you too Paris." Sydney laughed as she knelt down to hug her.

"Hi mom." Chloe walked into the house and hugged her mother once she had disentangled herself from Paris.

"Hey sweetie." Sydney hugged her daughter.

"Mom." Derrick kissed Sydney on the cheek.

"I'm so happy you all could make it." Sydney smiled as the small family hung their jackets up. "Your dad and grandfather are in the living room."

Walking into the living room, Chloe looked at her parents and grandfather. They had all aged in the last ten years. Sydney and Vaughn were nearing their fifties, and Jack wasn't too far from his seventies. They were getting older, something that did not go unnoticed by Chloe.

"Hey dad," Chloe kissed Vaughn on his cheek then went to hug Jack. "Grandpa, how is retirement treating you?"

"It's horrible." Jack said shaking his head, "I can't believe I let Syd talk me into it."

"You were getting too old for the field dad, and there's no way you would have been happy behind a desk." Sydney admonished her father. Chloe smirked and settled onto the couch beside her husband. It felt good to be with her family, to talk with them and laugh with them. But she couldn't rid herself of the guilt she felt over keeping Sark's sudden reappearance a secret.

She felt Derrick's arm snake around her shoulders and had to fight off the urge to push it away. What was happening to her? She had never before felt this way, never wanted to be free of her husband's touch.

Chloe cast a quick look at her mother. Sydney knew every going on in the CIA, she had the highest priority clearance that one could get, she had to know Sark was no longer in prison. But did she know the reason why?

* * *

Chloe washed the dinner dishes as her mother dried and put them away. Derrick, Jack, and Vaughn were in the dining room, talking about random guy things, and Paris was in the living room eating a slice of cake and watching TV. 

Rinsing off a cup, Chloe glanced at her mother. The kitchen was far enough away from the dining room that she could ask Sydney about Sark without Derrick overhearing, but did she really want to know the answers to her questions? If she said something, then Sydney would want to know how she knew that Sark was free and Chloe did not want to get into the discussion that was sure to follow if she told her mother that Sark had visited her. No, Chloe decided it was better to keep it all a secret.

The doorbell rang, startling Chloe slightly.

"I'll get it." Sydney called into the dining room as she put down the dishtowel and went into the living room. Chloe finished up with the last plate and dried it. When she turned to go back into the dining room, she saw Sark standing there, shaking hands with Derrick.

* * *

Sark didn't want to be here, he didn't want to face Sydney knowing full well that she probably knew that he had visited Chloe. She would lay into him about it, that much was certain, and Sark just wasn't up for another shouting match with her. His emotions were raw after seeing Chloe, and his heart and mind just weren't up for a fight. But Dixon had told him to come. Sark was leaving the next morning for part one of the Covenant take down, and Sydney had to brief him. But she wasn't answering her phone or her beeper and hadn't come in that day to work, so Sark was there, at her house, waiting. 

Sydney answered the door not long after he rang the bell. Her face slipped into its calm and controlled mask that was always present when she spoke with Sark.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low, cold, threatening.

"Dixon sent me," Sark replied, his own mask slipping over his face, "since you weren't answering your phone. I still need to be briefed on my mission. And this was the only time it could be done since you didn't come into the office today." Sydney glanced over her shoulder as if she were making sure that no one was watching.

"Okay," she said, "you can come in, but stay quiet, I'll do the talking." She stepped out of the way, and Sark entered the living room. His eyes instantly fell on a little blond girl, her face turned towards him, and her eyes wide with innocent curiosity. Sark's heart flipped inside his chest, this was the little girl from the picture, his daughter. If she was here, then so was Chloe, she had to be. His pulse quickened at the thought.

He smiled at the girl charmingly, trying to put a good impression of him into her mind. He wanted her to remember him. He wanted her to think of him, wonder who he was. He wanted her to ask Chloe about him, to learn the truth.

She smiled back and waved.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Paris."

"It's nice to meet you Paris." Sark knelt down in front of her, feeling Sydney's eyes bore into his back as he did so, "You have a very pretty name." She blushed.

"Thanks." she replied. "What's your name?"

"Julian." he said. Sydney cleared her throat loudly, causing Sark to turn and look at her. "I have to go," he said, looking back at Paris, "it was very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Mr. Julian." Paris smiled. Sark stood and began to follow Sydney. She stopped in front of the doorway. Looking past her, Sark could see Jack and Vaughn seated at the long table that sat in the room, and another man sat with them, the one from the picture, the man that Chloe had married. Sudden anger filled Sark as he looked at this man. This was the person who had stolen Chloe from him. Oh how he wanted to kill him.

"Whose your friend mom?" the man asked, his eyes catching Sark's gaze. Jack and Vaughn looked up to see who he was talking about, and their looks turned murderous when they caught sight of Sark.

"Julian Sark," he said, stepping past Sydney and shaking the man's hand, "I work with Mrs. Vaughn."

"Derrick Mitchell," he replied, "I'm Sydney's son-in-law." Sark nodded politely, all the while fighting the urge to break Derrick's hand, a hand that had touched Chloe. He fought to keep calm, but the urge to kill this man was strong.

"I see we have a guest." Chloe's voice sounded in Sark's ear. He turned to look at her, his gaze sweeping over her body quickly, drinking in every detail. She looked gorgeous standing there, her hair loose around her shoulders, and her lips turned up in a polite smile. But Sark could see that it was forced, everything about her was forced. From the way she stood, her hands clasped in front of her and her back perfectly straight, to the way she spoke.

"If I had known someone else was coming I would have made more coffee." She pretended not to know him, she pretended like he was another stranger that she was being nice to. But she did know him, she knew him more than anyone else had ever known him. Sark hurt as he looked at her, he wanted to kiss her, to take her away, to keep her as his own.

"I'm Chloe," she said, walking over to him and holding out a slim hand, the one with her wedding ring on it. Sark took her hand in his, familiar chills running down his spine. The cold metal of her wedding band felt like ice against his skin.

"Julian Sark." he replied. She dropped his hand, and all the warmth seeped out of Sark.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Sark." her tone was cold and formal.

"Well," Sydney spoke up, "Mr. Sark and I have some business to attend to. If you'll excuse us." Quickly, Sark was ushered out of the dining room and down the hall.

* * *

Chloe felt as if the earth had dropped from underneath her as she shook Sark's hand. His hand was warm, as it encompassed her own, and his grip was strong. She fought to control her breathing, her heart raced and flip-flopped inside of her chest. She felt as if she were going to faint just looking in his eyes. Guilt swept over her then, and she dropped his hand, instantly feeling the loss of contact. The need to feel him again filled her, but Chloe pushed it away. She was married to a man who loved her and who she loved very much, she should not be having these feelings for Sark, not anymore. 

Relief filled her when Sydney finally led Sark out of the dining room, and Chloe sank into the empty chair beside her husband. Under the table her legs trembled, and Chloe had to keep her hands twisted together to keep them from shaking as well. The heady feeling that had swept her up when she saw Sark instantly vanished as she felt Derrick's arm loop around her shoulders. Chloe leaned into him instinctively, trying to feel the same emotions that she felt from just a simple handshake with Sark, but they weren't there. They used to be there, back when Sark was out of the picture, Chloe used to love Derrick, used to crave his affection like an addict craves another hit, but not anymore. Now she craved Sark. He was something she couldn't have, the piece of rich chocolate cake that a dieter craved. That thing that you always want, but it always out of reach. Chloe glanced up at her husband. He smiled and kissed her forehead lovingly, but that simple gesture didn't produce the same feeling and emotions it once had.

* * *

Sark listened absentmindedly as Sydney went over the assignment with him. He heard what she was saying, but it was just words, nothing more. His thoughts were consumed by Chloe, the way she looked, the way she smelled. It was all so familiar, as if nothing had ever changed. But things had changed. She was married now and no matter how much Sark wanted to forget that fact, it would not be ignored. 

"Sark, are you even listening?" Sydney's voice was harsh, reprimanding, as if he were a child.

"Yes," he snarled, "I'm listening."

"Good," Sydney returned his unfriendly gaze with one of her own, "Now, Dixon told me that he was having a new tracker implanted beneath your skin, and Marshall reassures me that if you run into any trouble, the Covenant will not be able to detect it. Also, in case you happen to think of running, he's installed a small bomb on the tracker as well. So don't even think of going AWOL."

"I have no intention of running." Sark assured her.

"You did a decent job back there, pretending you didn't know Chloe." Sydney said after a brief silence. "You're both very good actors."

"Thank you." Sark replied icily.

"I guess that's all." Sydney looked down at the folder that she held in her hands, "you're free to go." Sark stood and buttoned his suit jacket. The CIA had been gracious enough to provide him with an all new wardrobe, one very similar to what he used to wear. Sark walked down the hall passed the dining room, where he said a quick good-bye, his heart dropping as he saw the way that Derrick held Chloe, through the living room, where he waved good-bye to Paris, and out the door.

* * *

Chloe walked into the kitchen after Sark left, a stack of dirty dessert dishes in her hands. She needed something to keep her mind busy, she couldn't just sit in the dining room and pretend that Sark hadn't just been there. Furiously scrubbing the plates, Chloe couldn't help but wonder why he had even come to the house. 

Sydney walked into to the kitchen and placed a gentle hand on Chloe's shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder quickly, to make sure the men were talking.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine mom," Chloe continued to scrub at the plate, even though it was now clean, "what makes you think I wouldn't be fine?" Sydney gently pried the plate from Chloe's hands and placed it in the dish drainer. Something inside of Chloe snapped as she looked into her mom's sympathetic eyes.

"What was he even doing here?" she asked in a low whisper, "Why did the CIA release him? And why didn't you tell me?"

"One question at a time Chloe," Sydney laughed slightly. "Langley granted him a pardon in return for his helping us shut down the Covenant once and for all. Dixon assigned me as his handler. And I didn't tell you because I didn't want to upset you. You're doing good now Chloe, you have a family and you have a life, one that does not include Julian Sark."

Chloe dropped her eye to the floor. She was ashamed of keeping Sark's visit a secret. She felt as if she had to tell her mother. Drawing in a deep breath, she took the plunge.

"He came to see me, last night." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Sydney's eyes hardened.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because nothing happened. He came, we barely said two words to each other, and then he left."

"If he ever comes to see you again I want you to promise me you won't even speak to him Chloe."

"I can't do that mom," Chloe looked into her mother's eyes, tears welling inside of her own, "I can't promise that, I…I still love him." Sydney grabbed Chloe's shoulders tightly.

"You can't still have feelings for him Chloe, not after what he did to you."

"I know he never returned any of my letters, but I can't help the way I feel."

"Chloe, you have got to forget about Sark, forget that he ever existed in your life. The only thing that man is good for is pain. Don't you remember how much you suffered when he didn't return any of your letters?"

"Yes," Chloe said, tears streaming down her face, "but I can't just forget about him. Every time I look at Paris I'm reminded of him." Something donned on Chloe then. She had never told anybody about her letters to Sark. "How did you know about my letters?" She looked at her mother suspiciously. Sydney didn't so much as blink. "How did you know about the letters?" Chloe repeated, her voice firm and demanding. "Did Julian ever write me back?" Sydney remained silent. Anger towards her mother flooded Chloe and she wiped the tears from her eyes forcefully. "Where are they? Where are the letters?"

"I burned them." Sydney said, "It was for your own good. You couldn't spend the rest of your life pining after a man who you were never going to be able to see. What kind of life is that?"

"I can't believe you would do that to me!" Chloe cried. "I can't believe you would be so mean and heartless." Sydney glanced nervously over her shoulder. The men had fallen silent in the dining room and, even though they weren't watching the fight, anybody could tell that they were listening.

Chloe brushed past her mother and stormed into the dining room.

"We're going." She told Derrick. He looked at her confused. Chloe looked at her father and grandfather.

"Goodnight." she said, trying to read their expressions, trying to find out if they knew what Sydney had done. She couldn't tell.

"Chloe," Sydney came into the dining room.

"I have nothing to say to you." Chloe snapped. "Come on Paris, we're leaving." With that she marched into the living room, grabbed her coat, and stormed out the door.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that nice long chapter and will review. 

Marie: I garuntee you will like the ending to this story. I already know exactly what it's going to be and I must say, it's pretty good.

csk8-20: Sorry to dissapoint you, but Derrick is not having an affair, nor is Chloe going to leave him. After all, if she left him, what would I do to add drama to this story?

poe-baby, leah nichols, Joyca, HP-Magic, Triple Agent, Sarks-Girl-89, Masta D, Eyghon, M.B, Crazy-VampireSlayer, and Spymantha: Thank you all for reading and reviewing this story.


	7. The Truth Revealed

I am SO sorry about how long it took me to update this story. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.

Chapter Six- **The Truth Revealed**

Chloe sat at her vanity, gently running a brush through her hair as she got ready for bed. She was alone in the room, Derrick was on the phone with one of the managers of his restaurant, and was grateful for the reprieve from the tension.

The car ride home from her parents' had been filled with uncomfortable silence. A silence that even Paris, who was usually very talkative, felt.

Footsteps sounded in the doorway, and Chloe watched Derrick's reflection come into the room. She dared not look at him directly, afraid that the tension that was between them would finally come to the surface. He wanted to ask questions, Chloe could sense it, but she was afraid to answer whatever he asked. She couldn't lie to her husband, she never had in the five years that they had been married. But she couldn't tell him the truth.

Derrick sat on the bed and sighed. Chloe closed her eyes, trying to block out the hurt she knew she was causing him. She watched as his reflection dropped his head in his hands and rubbed his face wearily. Nervously, Chloe toyed with the ring that rested at the base of her throat. She slipped her finger in and out of it, trying not to focus on the obvious hurt and confusion that rested on her husband's shoulders.

"Who is he, Chloe?" Derrick's voice rang in the silent room.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Chloe shook her head, trying to appear busy as she hastily applied lotion to her hands.

"Don't you lie to me!" He roared, standing up and marching over to Chloe. He grabbed her arm and forced her to her feet. When she wouldn't look at him, Derrick forced her chin up so that her eyes connected with his.

"There is something that you're not telling me." He whispered, his voice low and dangerous, "I don't like to be lied to Chloe."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Chloe repeated, her voice eerily calm.

"Julian Sark!" Derrick cried, tightening his hold on her arm, "Who is he?"

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but Chloe held them at bay, knowing that if she cried it would only enrage her husband further.

"Tell me!" He shook her forcefully. She bit her lip and stared up into his enraged eyes.

"You…you're going to wake Paris up." She whispered in a waterlogged voice. It was difficult to speak around the lump in her throat.

"I don't care." Derrick said harshly, but he lowered his voice all the same.

Chloe had never seen him like this, never seen him so angry. It frightened her. His eyes were blazing and a vein in his neck stood out against his tanned skin. They had never fought before, at least not like this, and Chloe was afraid, with as angry as he appeared, that he would strike her.

_Let him hit me,_ she thought, _it'll give me an excuse to leave this marriage._ But as soon as the words entered her head, Chloe knew them to be a lie. She didn't want to leave Derrick, she loved him. Sometimes it seemed as if her life was one big lie, that she was just idling away the time until Sark returned, but more often than that Chloe was happy and content with her little family. It was true that she had lost some of her feelings for him, but she knew that she would never completely stop loving Derrick.

His green eyes bore into hers, staring her down. Chloe drew in a deep breath, forcing away the tears that threatened to spill over.

"He's her father." she whispered. Derrick's hand dropped from her arm as if it had burnt him. He stepped away from her, his eyes wide. Chloe dropped her head down, afraid to meet his hopeless stare.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" He sounded so hurt, so sad. It was all Chloe could do not to cry. She looked up and met his eyes.

"No," she shook her head and reached out a hand to touch Derrick's arm. He shied away from her touch. The action hurt her, but Chloe wasn't going to give up on making her husband understand.

"I would never leave you." She continued. "Julian was a part of my life ten years ago and, for ten years, I haven't heard a word from him. He never sent me any letters or anything."

_But he did write you, _the annoying voice in the back of Chloe's mind reminded her, _he did write you, but your mother kept his letters from you._ Chloe didn't think that little bit of information needed to be spoken aloud. She didn't think Derrick needed to hear it, so she pushed it aside.

"I love you, Derrick. It was you that I married, not Julian Sark." Chloe reached out for him once more and, this time, Derrick let her hand rest on his arm. His eyes flickered from her hand to her eyes.

"I love you Chloe, but if you have feelings for this Julian, then this marriage is a sham."

"No, I made a vow to you. For better or worse till death do us part. I'm sticking to that vow Derrick, it's you that I want in my life."

_That isn't what you would have said if you knew that Julian were still in love with you, _the voice persisted. Chloe closed her eyes, trying to block out the voice. She didn't need anymore complications in her life, not now, not ever.

* * *

Clouds blanketed the sky, covering the stars and blocking their light. Sark stared out the window of the plane, his chin resting on a closed fist. The world was dark beneath him, leaving Sark to guess at where they were.

He closed his eyes. There was nothing for him to do on the plane, so, why not try to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. Instead, an image of Chloe wrapped in her husband's arms floated just behind Sark's closed eyes. He felt his stomach churn whenever he pictured them together, and he had to fight to keep the bile from rising to his throat.

Sark rubbed a weary hand over his face and settled back into the cushioned airplane seat. They would be landing soon, and he would be expected to act as if nothing had happened in the last ten years.

The CIA had made sure to keep his arrest quiet, just in case he were to be needed someday in the future, thus making sure that nobody knew who he was working for.

Turning his head towards the darkened window, Sark sighed and thought back to the events of that night. A smile found his lips as he thought of the little girl, Paris, his daughter. She had to be the most beautiful child he had ever lain eyes on. Chloe's spirit shone through her. She may have looked like Sark, but she was Chloe's child through and through.

Guilt suddenly washed through him. He should have been a part of Paris's life, he should have watched her grow up, heard her first words, seen her first step. He should have been there for all of that. Damn Sydney for keeping his letters from Chloe. If it hadn't been for her Chloe would have come to see him in prison, she would have told him about her pregnancy, and she would have brought Paris to see him throughout his stay in prison.

He bit his lip and rubbed his chin. If only he could have met Chloe under different circumstances. If only he hadn't been wanted by the CIA. If only, if only, if only. There were so many if-onlys and what-ifs, too many to count.

Shaking his head to clear it of all thought, Sark closed his eyes and, once more, attempted to fall asleep.

* * *

They were whispering quietly, locked behind the closed door of their bedroom. Paris stood in the hall, her ear pressed tightly against their door. She had heard every single word that had been screamed that night, and now she wanted to hear the ones that were whispered.

Her father, the man who had come to her grandparents' that night, Julian, he was her father. It hadn't surprised Paris to hear that, not really. She had known there was something about him when she'd first laid eyes on him. He was…special. She could feel it in the tug of her heart when her eyes had first met his. He was her father, the man who had created her, with her mother's help of course.

All her life Pairs had wondered about the man who had helped to create her, and now she knew who he was. She had seen his face, she had spoken with him. He seemed nice, gentle, and, at the same time, tortured. His eyes had watered slightly when he ducked down to speak with her, and Paris could see the hurt that he was trying to hide.

Footsteps sounded in her parents' bedroom, and she could hear the springs settling in the bed as they laid down on it. Quickly, she scurried back to her own bedroom and buried herself beneath the pale pink comforter. Closing her eyes, she easily fell asleep, her dreams full of her father, her _real_ father.

* * *

Well, I hope this was worth the wait. I know it was kinda short, but I kinda got stuck and couldn't figure out where to take it. Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought.

le Citron: Thank you so much for the amazing review. It's compliment enough for me when people take the time to actually write a review. Thank you for enjoying this story and thinking that I am a good writer.

Marie: AWOL is a military term meaning Absent Without Leave. Meaning basically that somebody leaves the military without being legally discharged. I hope I helped you to better understand the term.

Triple Agent, csk8-20, Sarks-Girl-89, freakygirl, and Eyghon: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and review this story, it really means a lot to me.


	8. An Emotional Wreck

My gosh, I haven't updated in awhile. I am so sorry 'bout that y'all. I hope that this chapter makes up for my lack of updates.

Chapter Seven-**An Emotional Wreck **

A week passed, a week of Derrick dancing around Chloe, afraid to upset her lest she decide to go back on her word and leave him after all. That was his greatest fear after all, that the woman he loved with all his heart would not want to be with him anymore and trade him in for an old flame that had come back into her life. He was Paris's father for heaven's sake!

Chloe had told Derrick when he had first wanted to get…closer, that she didn't want to take them having sex lightly. He would be the second man she'd ever slept with, and she only wanted them to do it if they really truly loved each other. It wasn't until a month after Derrick had proposed that Chloe allowed them to take that next step in their relationship. If she waited that long to sleep with him, but only a handful of weeks to sleep with Paris's father, how much had she loved him more than she loved Derrick?

It frightened him, it truly did. So, after their fight that night that Julian Sark entered their lives, Derrick had moved carefully around Chloe, not wanting to spark another argument. Every night he brought her flowers or other little presents, anything that would bring a smile to her lovely, but lately sullen, face. Chloe insisted that she didn't need such presents, but Derrick knew that she loved the attention he was bestowing upon her and, every once in awhile, she would smile.

That was one thing that Derrick wished desperately she would do more often. Since their fight, Chloe had become withdrawn. No longer did the couple share secret kisses, she didn't let Derrick hold her as they fell asleep, but worst of all, Chloe seemed unable to meet his eye.

Her melancholy had traveled to Paris as well. The once cheerful and laughing girl now spent hours locked in her room doing homework and working on her computer. She only came out for dinner, which she was forced to share with the family, and then retreated once more to the seclusion of her room.

Derrick was scared of what was becoming of his once happy family. He felt powerless against the force that was Julian Sark. How did one compete against an old flame that one's wife appeared to still feel something for? Derrick refused to let go of his wife and marriage so easily though. If Julian Sark wanted Chloe back, then he was going to be in for one hell of a fight.

* * *

Chloe sat at the kitchen counter, clipping coupons from that day's ads. The sound of scissors cutting paper rang through the house. With Paris at school and Derrick at work, the silence was too much for Chloe. But, lately, their home had been full of nothing but silence, uncomfortable and tense silence. It was the kind of silence that makes you want to tear your hair out. Chloe sighed and reached towards the radio that sat where the end of the counter met the white wall of the kitchen. 

"And that was JoJo with _Leave, Get Out_." The early afternoon DJ said, "This is DJ Casey C. on Oldie 93.3. Next up we have the lovely lady who came in third on American Idol back when it was actually good and the singers were talented. I'm talkin' about Miss Kimberly Locke. Here she is with the runner-up that second season, Clay Aiken."

Chloe didn't pay much attention to what the DJ was saying, instead focusing on the coupons in front of her. She sorted them into piles: food, cleaning supplies, and miscellaneous. The clear soothing voice of Clay Aiken came over the airwaves. Chloe smiled slightly. Back in the day, she had had quite a crush on Mr. Aiken. She listened to the song, paying attention to it only because it was Clay that was singing.

Never even thought to cry

When I heard you say good-bye

Never said where you were going

There's no laughter in the air

Only silence everywhere

And so much left unspoken

Since you've been gone

I haven't been the same

I wish that I could see

Who's to blame

Without you, where do I belong?

Without you, how can I go on?

No love but yours will ever do

Tell me how am I supposed to live

My life without you?

Was I lost in you and me

To the point I couldn't see

That what we had was dying

Now it's all that I can do

To see photographs of you

And stop myself from cryin'

I should learn to live without your love

Got so many memories, but it's not enough

Without you, where do I belong?

Without you, how can I go on?

No love but yours will ever do

Tell me how am I supposed to live

My life without you?

I feel helpless and oh so all alone

Like I've never felt before

You made me feel alive

But I don't remember what it's like anymore

Without you, where do I belong?

Without you, how can I go on?

No love but yours will ever do

Tell me how am I supposed live

My life without you?

A tear slid down Chloe's cheek as she listened to the song. If any song had been written for her and Sark, this one was it. The whole thing spoke so truly of her relationship with the English man that it was heart breaking.

The front door opened, and Chloe quickly wiped the tears from he face.

"Chloe?" Derrick's voice came through the living room, closely followed by Derrick himself. "Are you alright?" He asked, taking in her red-rimmed eyes and watery smile.

"Yeah," Chloe took in a deep breath and wiped at her eyes once more, "I'm fine. What are you doing home so early?"

"I figured…could handle the restaurant alone for one afternoon. Besides, I wanted to spend some time alone with you." Chloe forced herself to smile as Derrick placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek lovingly. He was making an effort to make things right between them, but she just kept pulling back. What was wrong with her? Chloe mentally shook away her thoughts and turned her head to look at him.

"I love you." She whispered, before covering his lips with her own.

* * *

"Bye Paris." Jade, Paris's best friend, called as a red convertible pulled up in front of St. Agitha's School for Girls. Paris waved as her friend climbed into the car and sped off. The ten-year-old girl sat on the stone steps that climbed up into the school. Most of the students had already been picked up by their parents, but Paris's parents weren't going to pick her up, she had made sure of that. 

Never one to lie to her parents, especially her mom, Paris had told them that she would be going home with Jade that afternoon and then spending the night. The cell phone that her parents had given her- for emergencies only of course- would come in handy for just this instance. She just had to make sure that she called them periodically through the night so that they wouldn't call Jade's to check up on her.

She checked her watch. Twenty minutes until the bus would be there. Paris sighed and stood up, her butt was quickly becoming numb from sitting on those steps. She looked both ways as she approached the street and swiftly crossed when she was satisfied that no cars were coming. The community park sat across from the school. The girls at St. Agitha's weren't allowed there during school hours, but after school, it was usually littered with girls in blue plaid skirts and white blouses. Today, however, the park was nearly deserted. A lone figure sat on the swings at the far end of the park. Much too big to be a kid, the figure's presence sparked Paris's curiosity. She moved closer, trying to appear as if she were simply a schoolgirl walking home. The figure became clearer and clearer as she approached until, finally, she was able to make out who it was.

* * *

Ooh, interesting little cliffhanger there. Lol. I just love leaving you all wondering what's going to happen next. Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. 

PS. A little tidbit for all you David Anders, aka Sark, lovers. Mr. Julian Sark just might be making an appearance on Alias's season finale. I hope this is true, as my Sark fix for the season has been quite depleted since he was only on two episodes so far.

PPS. The song in this chapter is Without You by Kimberly Locke with Clay Aiken. I do not own the song nor do I own the people who sing it. Also, Oldie 93.3 is not, to my knowledge, a real radio station.

the different person: Actually, sometimes ideas and themes from some of my stories bleed into other stories that I am writing. But yes, Derrick's almost hitting Chloe does seem a lot like something Marie's stepfather would do. I'm glad that you enjoy my writing enough to read more than one story.

le Citron: Your amazing compliments never cease to amaze me. I am really grateful to you because you always seem to make me feel better about my writing abilities. Thank you.

Masta D: In regards to Derrick and Chloe getting a divorce, I don't think that's likely to happen. But I do think that you'll be interested in the way that I am thinking of ending thier marriage. (Laughs evily)

Marie, Sarks-Girl-89, SvgeChick, and Eyghon: Thank you all so much for reviewing this story. It really means a lot to me that people would take the time to read and review my work.


	9. Are You My Daddy?

Chapter Eight- **Are You My Daddy?**

Sark sat across from the school, watching the girls that filed out its doors. Paris was somewhere among them, waiting for Chloe or Derrick to come up and pick her up. Sark watched for her, unable to discern her head of golden hair from all the others, but it was near impossible to tell from where he sat which one was Paris.

He was going against his promise to Chloe by being here. She had made him swear that he would leave Paris alone, but, after seeing her in person, Sark just knew that he had to talk with her again, had to see her one last time.

Slowly, the crowd of girls began to thin until there was only one left. She sat on the steps that led into the school, a yellow backpack next to her saddle shoe clad feet. She stood and began to make her way towards the park and where Sark sat. As she approached something in his gut told Sark that this was her, his daughter. He held his breath, waiting to see if his feeling was right.

"So, you're my dad." Paris stood in front of him, arms crossed in front of her chest as she surveyed him. She looked so much like her mother right then.

"Guess I am." He replied, not even surprised that she had figured it out. Paris nodded her head in acceptance and sat on the swing beside Sark. They looked at each other for a few seconds, neither one speaking.

"How come you never visited?" She wasn't emotional, far from it actually. She simply wanted answers.

"I was in jail." Sark answered, knowing that he could never lie to his own daughter.

"Oh." She didn't seem at all surprised by his answer. Silence overtook them once more.

"She still loves you, you know." Paris's eyes were focused on her shoes, which scuffed at the dirt beneath the swing. Sark felt his heart quicken at her words. He took in a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves.

"She does?" Paris looked at him, her blonde hair falling into her eyes.

"Yeah, she does. But she's not leaving Derrick. Mom's too into keeping her promises to go back on her own wedding vows."

"Oh." Sark's heart fell.

"Do you still love her?"

"With all my heart."

"Sometimes I wish that she hadn't gotten married," Paris spoke softly, "I used to have this fantasy about you coming to find us and sweeping Mom off her feet and then you two would get married and we'd all be one happy family." Sark looked at her, her eyes distant as she recalled her fantasy.

"I wish that too." He said, "I wish that too."

* * *

It was the middle of the nigh and Chloe's fingers were flying over the keys of her laptop as she wrote. With everything that had been going on recently, she needed to immerse herself in something familiar, something that she could control. Sark's reappearance in her life had sparked something within her as well, her creativity had been triggered when he had first stepped back into her life.

Her current book was a sequel to her very first one. There had been numerous books after that one, but something inside of Chloe had wanted to write a sequel, even before Sark had come back. Maybe it was her wishful thinking that had inspired the sequel, her hope that Sark would come back had prompted the writing. But, lately, she had been stuck in a rut. At least, until Julian Sark stood on her doorstep.

The phone rang. Chloe reached for it absentmindedly.

"Hello?" She said, shouldering the receiver as she continued to write.

"Chloe, please don't hang up." Syd's voice came through the line. "Please," she begged, "we have to talk."

"Talk about what Mother? Talk about how you lied to me? Yeah, okay, let's talk about that." Chloe snapped.

"I'm sorry about that Chloe," Sydney said, "but I only did it because I thought that that was what was best for you at the time."

"Yeah right Mom," Chloe scoffed, all thoughts off her writing now. "You lied and there's no excuse for that."

"Have you told Paris that Sark's her father?" Her mother's question made Chloe pause.

"I take it that's a no." Syd said when her daughter didn't reply. "Isn't that the same as a lie, Chloe? I'm sure Paris has asked about her father, did you ever tell her that he was in prison for being a terrorist? No, I doubt you have."

"Do _not_ bring Paris into this." Chloe seethed, finding her voice. "I didn't tell her about Sark because I didn't think she was ready to know. But I _was_ going to tell her when she was older."

"Of course you were," Syd said, her tone stating that she didn't believe Chloe at all. "Listen Chloe, we're not that different. I lied to protect you, to help you move on with your life. You lied to keep Paris from hating her father before she even knew him."

"At least I was going to tell her." Chloe spat, "That's more than I can say for you."

"But I did tell you." Sydney argued.

"I can't get into this right now." Chloe exclaimed, placing her head in her hand. "Just leave me alone." She hung up, and cried.

* * *

Paris opened the door and slunk inside, her backpack slung haphazardly over her right shoulder. She'd spent all afternoon, and almost all night, with her father the day before, then, well after midnight, she had snuck into Jade's room. Her friend had been awake, and Paris had told her everything.

The two girls formulated a plan that night, one that would get Paris what she wanted, her _true_ family together. Sure Paris loved Derrick, but she wanted her real dad to be married to her mom.

"Paris, is that you?" Chloe walked out into the living room, still dressed in her pajamas even though it was almost noon. "Did you have fun at Jade's?"

"Oh yeah," Paris said quickly, making her way towards her bedroom, "we had loads of fun."

"That's good." Chloe seemed distant to Paris as she went into the kitchen and poured herself another cup of coffee. The young girl's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right with her mom.

Derrick came into the living room, busy tying his tie. He was dressed in a carefully tailored suit and wore expensive Italian loafers.

_That's it,_ Paris thought, _that's why Mom is weird._

Usually, Derrick didn't wear suits, choosing instead to dress in nice pants and a nice button up shirt. But, on the rare occasion that he needed to wear a suit, Chloe always became weird. Paris had no clue why, but Chloe always seemed to be off in her own world whenever Derrick wore a suit, like she was thinking about something that had happened in the past.

Paris shrugged mentally and headed into her room after greeting her dad with a kiss. She had some work to do.

* * *

Another chapter finished! Yippee! Lol. Sorry if it was too short, but I find it easier to write short chapters than long ones. Anyways, please tell me what you thought of this chapter.

Sarks-Girl-89: Unfortunately, my sources tell me that I was wrong. Sark will not be coming back for the season finale. Sorry.

le Citron: I agree with you. This season just hasn't been the same without Sark. I hope he comes back for next season. (crosses fingers)

Masta D: The Derrick situation will be resolved within the next few chapters, hopefully. I already know what is going to happen (I've known since I first started writing this) so it shouldn't be too much longer before it happens.

M.B, freakygirl, Lil Aussie Alias Chick, sarkalias12, the different person, and Marie: Thank you all for reviewing this story. It really means a lot to me.


	10. Dreamed Reality

Oh my gosh, it has been way too long since I last updated. I am so sorry. Writer's block is horrible, especially when it keeps me from giving you all the update that you have been waiting so long for. Anyways, I hope that you like this chapter. Maybe with the arrival of Alias's new season I will have more inspiration and be able to get more chapters out sooner.

Chapter Nine- **Dreamed Reality**

_All around her the earth was dark, cast into shadows by the grim, black sky. Chloe tried desperately to see around her, but the darkness was impenetrable._

_Suddenly, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. A scream threatened to tear itself from her throat, but it became lodged somewhere between her lungs and mouth. She turned slowly- doubting that she would be able to whose hand lay on her shoulder, but determined to try. Her eyes were flooded by a light that seemed to come from nowhere. _

Chloe closed her eyes, then opened them slowly. The light faded slowly, leaving spots dancing in front of her eyes and the dark silhouette of her mysterious companion's face. She squinted, trying to make out the person's face, but he remained in shadow.

The hand slid from her shoulder, down her arm, and held her hand tightly. Fire erupted from the tips of Chloe's fingers and quickly spread up her arm. The fingers entwined with her own were strong and sturdy and lightly calloused. There was something comforting and familiar about his touch.

Chloe's body was trembling with anticipation and a need to see this man's face. The fire rested in the pit of her stomach. The whole situation was strangely erotic to Chloe.

_The man leaned in, his breath hot against her lips. The fire burned white hot within her and Chloe found herself leaning towards the dark figure. His lips were mere inches from her own, she could practically feel them._

"Chloe."

Her eyes snapped open, the fire instantly extinguished as she found herself back in her own home, on her own couch, and the only man near her was Derrick.

She pushed herself up on the couch, wiping a small bit of drool from the corner of her mouth.

"Derrick?" She yawned sleepily, "I thought you weren't getting home until seven." She looked at the VCR clock that winked bright green across the living room floor. It was only six.

"I know, but I though I'd come home early and take you out to dinner tonight. We haven't gone out, just the two of us, in awhile."

Chloe wiped the remaining sleep from her eyes. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep. Chloe _never_ was able to sleep during the day. It was some weird quirk that she had.

_It's gotta be all the stress I'm under for my deadline,_ she thought. The small voice in the back of her head disagreed with her.

_It's stress, sure, but stress from Sark being back, not from a damn deadline._

"That sounds good," she smiled up at her husband, "but it's a little short notice for a sitter, isn't it?"

"It's alright," Derrick shook his head, "I called Jenny up on my way home. She said that her night is free and she can watch Paris."

"Well then," Chloe stood up and kissed his lips gently, "I guess I better go get ready then."

Derrick's arm wrapped around her waist as he pulled her in for a more passionate kiss.

"Yep, you better. I can't have my woman looking anything less than sexy."

Chloe rolled her eyes and retreated to her bedroom.

>>>>>

Paris watched Chloe as she pulled on her long black evening jacket over a stunning emerald green dress. Jenny, the seventeen-year-old that had babysat her for the last two years, stood beside her, nodding her head as Chloe relayed all the emergency numbers and the information of the restaurant that they would be at.

"I know, I know, Mrs. Mitchell." Jenny nodded her head. "Now you two kids get outa here and have a good time."

Paris grinned as Jenny practically pushed her parents out the door.

"Now," Jenny said turning back to Paris, "what should we do?"

A sly look passed over the young girl's eyes. She had plans for Jenny, plans that the older girl would never even know that she was helping to execute.

"How about we get some ice cream."

>>>>>

Chloe fidgeted in her seat as Derrick gave his order to the waiter. She couldn't get that dream out of her head. Who was the man that she had nearly kissed, that she had felt such a desire for? The key was in the hands. They were too rough to have been Derrick's hands. No, his hands were soft from office work. The hands in her dream had showed signs of physical labor more strenuous than Derrick had ever done.

Across the table Derrick raised his wine glass in silent salute. Chloe followed his example and raised her own glass.

"To finally having a moment, and a night, to ourselves." He said, gently touching his glass against Chloe's. She forced a smile and sipped at her wine. The fruity taste burst over her tongue, leaving a pleasant after taste in her mouth when she swallowed.

Derrick's hand reached across the table to gently hold hers. Chloe looked at their entwined fingers, their wedding bands glowing softly in the dim candlelight. Unbidden, tears rose to her eyes and suddenly, she knew who her mystery dream man was.

>>>>>

His foot tapping impatiently on the cobblestone patio of the ice cream shop, Sark searched the small crowd for Paris's familiar blonde head.

That day in the park had brought father and daughter close to each other. Sark knew that he now had an ally in his quest to have Chloe back. Paris had seemed so eager to have him in her life that he just knew that she wanted him and Chloe together so that the three of them could be a real family. Until that time, however, they had formulated a plan in which they would be able to see more of each other. Now that Sark had seen his daughter and spoken with her, he wasn't about to let her go.

He saw her coming towards the shop, her blonde ponytail bobbing with each bouncy step. A young woman followed behind her, laughter on her face and her own dark pony tail bobbing along with Paris's.

Sark shifted in his seat as Paris and the other girl entered the ice cream shop and ordered their cones. They came back outside and took their seats in the table next to Sark's. He watched them from the corner of his eye. Paris was like any other child, overly eager for the ice cream that soon ended up dripping onto her clothes. Her mouth was surrounded by a ring of chocolate and her tongue was working feverishly over the mound of ice cream that was tucked inside the waffle cone.

He wished so desperately that he could be sitting with her, instead of at the table beside her. Sark wanted the world to know that this young, smiling, and beautiful little girl was his own. He had helped to create her. It was his blood that ran in her veins.

A melancholy sigh escaped his mint-chocolate covered lips. Finishing up his own cone, Sark stood and tossed his napkin into the trashcan. He ran his tongue over his lips, licking off the ice cream residue. With a last look at Paris, he headed across the street.

>>>>>

Wow, so a very short chapter, but I hope you guys liked it. Please review and tell me what you thought. I hope that I can get the next chapter out sooner than I got this one out, but I make no guarantees.

M.B: I think that Sark might be in a few episodes this new season. Let's keep our fingers crossed that my info is right about this. I _need _my Sark fix. Lol.

Sarks-Girl-89: It is not yet determined whether or not Chloe and Sark will be getting together. Lol. Who am I kidding. We all know that there is going to be at least a little bit happening between them. I just don't know the extent of what's going to happen with them yet.

Helena252, csk8-20, victoria, Lil Aussie Alias Chick, and the different person: Thank you all so much for reviewing this story. I'm just sorry I kept you all waiting so long for an update.


	11. Crash and Burn

Chapter Ten- **Crash and Burn**

Sydney walked into Marshall Flinkman's office. The tech geek had asked to see her earlier that morning, but she hadn't had a moment to spare until right then.

As usual, the tech office was a complete mess. Everywhere you looked there was some kind of new gadget in the making. There were papers strewn everywhere, covered with sketches and data and illegible notes. Syd looked around, searching for Marshall, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Marshall?" She called.

"Oh, Syd, hey." The graying head of the CIA's main gadget guy popped up from behind a table laden with computer parts and wires. He grinned at her, as giddy as a little school boy as he fiddled with the two wires he held in his hands.

"You wanted to see me." Sydney said, gently prompting Marshall. A blank looked crossed his face for a brief second.

"Oh, yeah." He said, his memory drawing on that morning's hurried conversation. "Over here." He walked over to his desk where his computer sat. Syd followed him, leaning on the desk as he typed in his password and accessed a secure file.

"You said yesterday how you wanted a list of everywhere Sark's been lately," he looked up at Syd and she nodded curtly. "Well, here it is." He pressed another button and the list was quickly printed. Marshall picked up the paper and handed it to Sydney. Her eyes scanned over it.

After Chloe had told her that Sark had gone to her home, Syd had been antsy that he would return. She wanted her daughter to move on with her life, but how could she if Sark continued to pester her? Syd's eyes landed on a familiar address. She searched her brain for what made the address so familiar. Her eyes widened as she remembered. This address was directly across from Paris's school.

"Thanks, Marshall." She said hurriedly as she rushed out of the room. She needed to tell Chloe about this. But first, to confront Sark.

* * *

He sat on the hard bed, his eyes focused on the wall in front of him as he listened to Sydney telling him that he could not ever see Paris, or Chloe. They were, as she put it, "strictly off limits." Sark didn't care. He would see them if he wanted to. To hell with what Sydney said. He had a daughter and he was going to see her.

Sydney's vice-like grip wrapped around his arm, pulling him up to face her.

"Do you hear me, Sark?" She asked, her voice low and menacing. It never ceased to amaze Sark how this small woman could be so intimidating and tough.

He met her stare head on, never flinching.

"I hear you." He said.

* * *

Chloe looked up from the book she'd been reading when someone knocked on the door. Curious, she got up and answered the door. Her mother stood there, hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans. Chloe moved to close the door, anger running through her veins at the audacity Sydney had to come to her house when Chloe was still pissed.

"Chloe, wait." Sydney put up a hand and stopped the door from closing on her. "Can I please come in?"

"No." Chloe snapped. She didn't have the patience for this.

"Please," there was a pleading in Sydney's voice that Chloe had never heard before, "there's something I have to tell you."

Against her better judgment, Chloe stepped out of the way and allowed Sydney inside.

* * *

"What do you mean he's been seeing Paris?" Chloe asked, pacing the floor and chewing nervously on her thumbnail.

"The tracker we implanted on him shows that Sark has visited the park across from Paris's school. There's no way to tell if Paris has talked to him or even if Sark has seen her at all. Nothing's certain right now. We're working off assumptions." Syd replied.

"How long has he been doing this?" Chloe was over her nervousness and onto anger.

"He was there on Friday afternoon, after school let out. He hasn't gone back yet."

Chloe closed her eyes and breathed in a deep, calming breath. She needed to think this through. Had Paris spoken with Sark, had she even known that he was watching her? Chloe could have killed herself. She was the one to tell Sark he had a daughter. She was the one to peek his curiosity about the child whose DNA matched his.

"Thank you for telling me." Chloe said after a long silence. Syd nodded and patted her daughter's shoulder comfortingly. Chloe sighed. She had to fix this. She had to get Sark to leave her and her family alone. And she had to do it soon, before her marriage was hurt further.

* * *

Pulling her car up alongside the curb, Chloe glanced across the street at the park. In the shadow of the trees she could just make out the form of a person. She took a few yoga breathes and opened her car door. There was still a good twenty minutes before school let out. Chloe was certain that she could get Sark to leave her family alone within that amount of time. At least she hoped she could. She didn't want to run the risk of Paris seeing her and Sark together. The girl might get the wrong ideas and go tell Derrick what she had seen.

After looking both ways, Chloe hurried across the street and into the park. She approached the figure, straining to see if it really was him. From the way that he held himself, back straight and head high, Chloe was certain that it was Sark.

She stopped in front of him, watching as his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected to see her there, that much was certain.

"Chloe…" his voice sounded so wonderful to her ears. Chloe mentally shook herself. She was here for a reason.

"I want you to leave her alone, Sark." She demanded, not wanting to waste time with small talk.

"What are you talking about?" He sounded innocent, but Chloe could see beyond his façade.

"I want you to leave Paris alone. She doesn't need you in her life. She has me and Derrick and she doesn't need you." Even to her own ears she sounded mean and bitchy, but Chloe was beyond caring at that point. She just wanted this nightmare behind her.

Sark's mouth turned down at the corners and Chloe could see the hurt look in his eyes.

"She's my daughter, Chloe." He said, "I think I have a right to see her."

"That right went out the window the second you were arrested."

"I was arrested because _you_ wanted me to turn myself in." Sark cried, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"I wouldn't have had to ask you to turn yourself in if you hadn't been a terrorist at the time." She screamed. "You know what I wish, Sark? I wish that I had never laid eyes on you. Because if I hadn't then I wouldn't have made the biggest mistake of my life by falling in love with you."

Tears were streaming freely down Chloe's face. Tears of anger and hate, both at Sark and herself. Sark tried to appear unaffected by her words, but Chloe could see how badly she had hurt him. For a second she wanted to take back every single word she'd said. But it was too late. They were out there and there was nothing she could do about it. Sark's jaw tightened and his eyes blazed as he looked down at her.

"If that's how you want it, fine." He said, "I'll never bother you again." He turned around and stalked away, leaving Chloe standing there, crying in her misery and self-hatred.

* * *

Sark slammed the door of his rental car and turned the key in the ignition. Gunning the gas, he headed off down the road. He was pissed at Chloe for saying what she said. But more than that her words stung, slicing deep into his heart and leaving behind a wound that would never heal.

His vision distorted by rage and pain, Sark could barely see the road ahead of him. He felt as if his heart was being torn into millions of tiny pieces He knew that as soon as he saw Chloe walking towards him that he should have left. He knew that no good could have come from them talking.

Sark drove down the road as if in a trance. Chloe's words floated around in his head. She wished that she had never seen him, never loved him. The makings of tears burned the back of his eyes. Sark never regretted his time with Chloe. He had loved her the best he knew how and now he was paying for that love.

So lost in his thoughts, Sark did not notice his car going over the yellow line, nor did he notice the car coming around the turn just a few feet ahead, not until it was too late.

* * *

I love cliffhangers, they're so much fun. I hope you guys liked this chapter and will review.

Lil Aussie Alias Chick, goldenshadows, freakygirl, and poe-baby: Thank you all for reviewing, it really means a lot to me.


	12. Chloe's Dark Days

Oh my gosh y'all this is amazing, a landmark event for any fan fic writer. I have now reached the one hundered mark for reviews thanks to all you guys out there who have been reviewing this work. Thank you all so much. You guys totally rule!

Chapter Eleven- **Chloe's Dark Days**

Sark felt as if his body was suspended in midair. He felt utterly weightless. The feeling of floating surrounded him, enshrouding him like a warm blanket. All of a sudden pain unlike anything Sark had ever felt before flooded his body. He wanted to scream, but the sound became lodged in his throat. He gritted his teeth, but the pain only increased as his jaw disagreed with the movement. Sark struggled to open his eyes, but they felt glued shut.

Hollow voices mingled with the beeping of various machines that flooded his hearing, sounding unusually loud to his pounding head.

"Where is my husband?" The frantic voice sounded familiar, but Sark could not place it.

"Somebody please tell me where my husband is." The voice grew more and more hysterical with each word spoken. Muffled words followed those of the woman and an animalistic wail echoed in his head.

"No!" The voice screamed before another heart wrenching wail sounded. Sark's heart went out to whoever that woman was. It was obvious that she had just received some of the worst news of her life.

>>>>>

The call came at three-thirty when Chloe and Paris were halfway home. After having picked up Paris from school, Chloe had spent nearly the entire time dodging the questions about why her eyes were red and tear stained. Then her cell-phone rang. It was the hospital. There had been an accident. Chloe immediately turned the car in the direction of the hospital and stepped on the gas, but in her gut she knew that she was going to be too late.

She ran into the emergency room, Paris right behind her, and grabbed the closest nurse, asking where he was. And then the woman said the two most horrible words Chloe had ever heard.

"He died."

A scream tore itself from her throat and fresh, hot tears rolled down her face. The strength left her and Chloe sank down onto the cold, generic, tiled floor. Paris's arms wrapped around her, but Chloe barely felt the comfort her daughter was trying to give her. He had died. Derrick, her husband of five wonderful years, had died. The pain and guilt of it all was almost too much to bear.

"Can…" she sniffed, trying to gain control of her emotions, "can I see him?" She looked up at the nurse pleadingly. She nodded solemnly and helped Chloe up. Leading her to the door of what Chloe guessed was one of the trauma rooms, she pushed the door open. Chloe's feet paused in front of the door. She couldn't do this. She couldn't go in there and see her husband lifeless on a metal slab.

_You have to do it, _she mentally coached herself, _you have to know that it's true and that it really happened._

Bracing herself for the worst, Chloe stepped into the room. Paris moved to follow her, but Chloe shook her head. Her daughter shouldn't have to see this. The nurse took Paris's arm and led her away. As the door shut behind Chloe, she closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to get through this. Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped towards the table.

The doctors had cleaned up the blood, but Chloe could see the cuts and bruises that marred his once handsome face. Tears fell freely down her cheeks. Used to them now, Chloe didn't even try to wipe them away. She took Derrick's broken hand in hers and kissed each of his fingers. She felt her heart breaking as she looked at him, his face lacking the color and life it had once had. He was nothing more than an empty shell now. She buried her face in his chest and cried.

>>>>>

_It's all my fault._ The phrase had become Paris's mantra during the last twenty minutes. _It's all my fault._ She couldn't shake the feeling that her wishing for her mother and biological father to get back together had killed Derrick, the only father she had ever really had. The guilt ate away at her as she sat waiting for Chloe in the family lounge. There was two other women with her there- a old woman who, by what Paris could hear, was waiting while the doctors worked on her husband who had just gone in to cardiac arrest, and a young mother whose child had been in a bike accident.

The door opened and Chloe stepped inside. Paris dropped the magazine that she had been pretending to read and ran into her mother's arms. Chloe held her tightly, as if she were afraid that Paris would disappear, and, together, they cried.

>>>>>

The sun shining down on the dew damp grass was a far cry from the somber display of black clad figures, each with tears in their eyes. Chloe clung to Sydney, whom she had forgiven in the wake of her husband's death, seeking comfort in her mother much the same as Paris sought comfort in Chloe. She glanced at her daughter, the vacant look in her eyes the same as it had been for the past three days. What was going on in her ten-year-old mind, Chloe wondered, that could make her so distant. Of course Derrick's death was a blow to her, but Chloe had never seen her daughter so unlike herself, so lost in her own world. She barely even spoke anymore. It pained Chloe to see her daughter like this and she wished that there was more that she could do. But Chloe was lost in her own misery right then. The funereal preparations had been too much for her, and it had fallen upon Sydney and Vaughn to do most of the planning.

Chloe listened as the minister delivered his eulogy, the words not really registering in her brain. Her eyes were glued to the casket; the mahogany polished to a shine and the gold handle bars that the pallbearers had gripped as they'd carried the casket to the graveside winked in the bright, morning light. If there had been tears left in her, Chloe would have cried. But, she had done so much crying the past few days that she wasn't even able to become misty-eyed. Instead, she stared ahead, thinking of all the times that she and Derrick had shared. There had been good days and there had been bad days, as is the same with every marriage, but it had mostly been good.

_At least it had been until Sark returned._ The words filtered into her brain before she could stop them. Yes, Julian Sark had put a strain on her marriage. The very thought of him reminded Chloe just how much she loved the British son of a bitch.

Guilt poured over her, constricting her stomach until it was cramped painfully. She shouldn't be thinking of Sark at her husband's funeral. She _should_ be reflecting on their marriage, their love, their happiness together. But it was so much easier said then done.

People began to offer her their condolences. She hugged Derrick's mother tightly, wrapping her arms around the woman's frail and shuddering shoulders as she wept. Chloe couldn't help but notice the difference between her mother-in-law and her mother. The two women were as different as night and day. Sydney was strong and capable, Anna Mitchell was used to being taken care and her recent battle with breast cancer had left her weak and wheelchair bound.

Chloe stood and accepted the hugs and sorrowful expressions of Derrick's friends, co-workers, and employees. Each person had something comforting, or what they thought of as comforting, to Chloe. But her cynical mind could not help but think of how these people were silently celebrating the fact that it had not been their own loved one to pass so suddenly.

The line of mourners dissipated and Chloe was left with her and Derrick's family. Jack wrapped an arm around his granddaughter and hugged her against his side. Chloe smiled slightly. Her grandfather always knew how to make her smile even under the gravest of circumstances.

Leaving the comfort of his arms, Chloe wandered over to where Paris stood with her cousins. Her big blue eyes looked up at Chloe, wet with tears. Chloe held her arms open for her and Paris flew into them, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother's waist.

As she stroked her daughter's hair, Chloe tried to bolster herself. She needed all the strength she could get to help Paris through this. Her little girl needed her and Chloe had to make sure that she was there for her.

>>>>>

"And in other news," the newscaster's annoying voice floated towards Sark. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly. Who had turned on the TV? He didn't remember anyone coming into his room. Of course he didn't remember much of anything after his car had slammed, head first, into another.

The past three days he had drifted in and out of consciousness as his body worked to heal itself. Everything had seemed a blur during the times that he was awake, but now the sound of the television was clear and he could make out the face of the woman news anchor.

"Mourners packed the grounds of the Rosemont Cemetery today in order to say good-bye to a well loved man. Derrick Johnson Mitchell III, age thirty-seven, was a local business owner, whose restaurant: The Red Robin, was a popular hang out for some of LA's biggest names. Mr. Mitchell was killed in a horrific car accident three days ago. The hospital will not release the name of the driver who hit him."

The wheels in Sark's mind were turning rapidly. Derrick Mitchell. He knew the name, but how? Then, like lighting, it hit him. Chloe's husband. Sark wondered who had killed him. Whoever it was, he was certain that Chloe would be out for that person's blood, and Sark didn't envy the bastard one bit.

>>>>>

Boy am I evil or what. But I told you guys that I would take care of the whole Derrick situation and now I have. Hmm…I wonder what's gonna happen when Chloe finds out that Sark was the one who hit Derrick? Could that possibly hurt the two of them getting back together?

Lil Aussie Alias Chick: Glad I could keep you guys on your toes and keep you interested in this story. After all, no writer wants to hear that thier story is boring.

the different person: I don't mean to turn you off from Sydney, I'm justtrying to accurately portary her as a worried mother. Don't worry, she's going to start being a whole lot nicer in the next few chapters.

Marie, Agent Phoenix, andEyghon: Thank you all so much for reviewng. You guys rock!


	13. Truth

Woohoo, _finally _I'm updating! Lol. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. Writer's block sucks. Anyways, here's the new chapter. I hope you guys like it.

Chapter Twelve- **The Truth, It's Such A Wonderful Thing**

"Have you told her yet?" Vaughn asked Sydney as they drove home from the wake. Syd had wanted to stay longer with her daughter, to be there if she needed her. But Chloe had insisted that she and Paris would be alright on their own.

Sydney shook her head.

"It would kill her to know." She said, looking over at her husband, his profile illuminated by the passing streetlamps.

"She deserves to know the truth, Syd." Vaughn admonished his wife gently. Sydney ducked her head and sighed.

"I know, and I will tell her. Eventually."

>>>>>

Chloe stared down at the food on her plate. A string of endless casseroles and Jell-O salads had been filtering into the Mitchell home since Derrick's death. Chloe, however, had no appetite for the food that filled the kitchen.

Pushing the food around on her plate, Chloe sighed. Glancing across the table at Paris, she saw her daughter pushing around her own food.

"You have to eat something, Paris." Chloe said.

"I'm not hungry." Paris pushed the plate away from her and slumped in her chair. Chloe smiled weakly, she knew how Paris felt. She reached across the table and gripped her daughter's small hand in her own.

"I know this is hard," Chloe said quietly, "but we'll make it through. You'll see, things'll be okay."

"How can you say that?" Paris cried angrily, showing the first bit of emotions that she had in days. She threw Chloe's hand off her and stood hurriedly, her chair squealing against the kitchen floor. "How can you say that things will be okay? Dad _died_, Mom, and it's all my fault."

The young girl ran from the room, blonde hair flying out behind her, leaving Chloe alone and confused.

>>>>>

Paris lay on her bed, face buried in a mountain of pillows. There weren't tears left inside of her to cry, but that didn't stop the large, heaving sobs that racked her body. The familiar sound of her door opening barely registered to Paris and she didn't glance up as soft footsteps made their way towards her bed.

"It's all my fault, Mom," she said, voice muffled by the pillows, as Chloe gently stroked her hair. "It's my fault he's dead."

"Shh, Paris. It's not anybody's fault." She appreciated her mother's words, but Paris wished that Chloe would just listen and understand what she was saying.

Pushing herself up, Paris turned so that she looked her mother straight in the eye. This was going to be difficult to tell, but Paris had to tell the truth.

"It _is_ my fault." She said. "I just wanted us to be a family, that's all. I didn't want him to die. I just wanted us to be a family."

Chloe looked confused, and understandably so. Paris was telling her so much, yet it made little sense to the older woman.

"But we were a family." Chloe said, trying to make sense of what her daughter was trying to tell her.

"I don't mean Derrick. I wanted you and me…and Sark, my _real _dad, to be a family."

"Oh." Chloe looked down at her clasped hands. Her fingers played with the silver wedding band and the matching engagement ring that rested on her ring finger. So Paris had spoken with Sark, and she had found out the truth.

Chloe bit her lip to keep back the flood of words that threatened to spill past her lips. So many things needed to be said and explained. But Chloe needed to organize her thoughts before she could say anything at all.

After what seemed like years of silence, Chloe finally spoke.

"When did he tell you." Her words were soft, but, in the quiet bedroom, Paris could hear her clearly.

"He didn't have to tell me. You did." At her mother's confused expression, Paris explained. "That night when Sark came to Grandma and Grandpa's I heard you and Dad arguing in your bedroom. I heard everything. After that night I wanted to know more about him. When I told you I was spending the night at Jade's house, I lied. I was really going to do some investigating to find out more about him. I thought that if I looked at the library, in all their old newspaper stuff, that I could find his name somewhere. But I didn't get to the library. He was in the park that day and we talked. He told me everything, Mom, about why he couldn't come and visit me and he told me…he told me he still loves you."

Chloe had stayed silent all while Paris had been confessing the truth to her, her mind reeling.

So Paris had wanted to know more about Sark. There was no harm in that. She wouldn't have found his name in any records anyway. But he had been at the park and Paris had talked to him there. She hadn't needed to go to a secondary source when she had the original right there. And what the hell was this about him telling her everything? Surely he couldn't have told her the real reason he'd been in jail all this time. The last part of what Paris said still rang clear in Chloe's mind, but she chose to ignore it. She knew Sark still loved her, hell she still loved him. But there was nothing they could do about it.

_Not back then, you couldn't._ That pesky voice was back again. _But Derrick's dead now. There's nothing stopping you from being with Sark now._

Chloe brushed the voice aside. She couldn't stand to hear it right then.

"Paris," she paused, drew in a deep breath, and continued, "did Sark ever tell you the reason he was in jail?"

Paris shook her head. Chloe closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to tell her daughter the truth. She deserved to know who her father really was.

"Sark…your father," the word sounded strangely comforting when it was accompanied by Sark's name. Chloe had no clue as to why that was. "He was in jail because he did some really bad things."

"I'm not six, Mom," Paris interrupted her, "you can tell me the truth."

"Okay," Chloe couldn't help the small smile that flitted across her face. "The truth is, Paris-"

>>>>>

"Okay, Mr. Sark, I'm going to take your blood pressure now." The annoyingly perky nurse said. Sark rolled his eyes behind his closed lids and tried to tune out her bothersome chatter.

He had been stuck in the hospital for nearly a week now and it was driving him crazy. He had to get out of there before his sanity was lost forever.

Thankfully, Sydney had visited him on more than one occasion, offering him reprieve from the constant flow of nurses and their patronizing ways. Sark had never thought he'd be grateful to see Sydney Vaughn, but in those occasions he was ecstatic.

A knock sounded on the closed door to his room, cutting off the nurse's babbling. Sark opened his eyes slowly. The action hurt his swollen eyes and he tried to hold back a wince.

"Oh, Mr. Sark, you have a visitor. Mrs. Vaughn is here." The nurse said. "I'll just leave you two to talk, but I'll be back in another hour."

He waited until the door shut behind the nurse before he spoke.

"Sydney," his voice was husky from lack of use, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

He winced as his three broken ribs made it difficult for him to breathe.

"I thought I'd tell you, 'fore I told Chloe this."

"Tell me what?" He bit back a whimper as his ribs protested the air he was forcing in and out of his lungs.

"The car you hit, it belonged to Derrick, Chloe's husband. He was D.O.A at the hospital. I haven't told Chloe this yet, but I'm going to. I thought you deserved to know first, though." She turned to go.

"Wait, Sydney." Sark couldn't let her leave. She couldn't tell Chloe this bit of information. It would make her hate him for sure.

Syd turned back around.

"What?"

"Please, you can't tell Chloe." He pleaded with her.

"She has the right to know who killed her husband, Sark."

"Please, if someone is to tell her, let it be me."

Sark had no clue why he offered this to Sydney. He had no desire to tell Chloe that he'd been the one to take her husband from her. But he also knew that if he didn't tell her, than Sydney would surely make it seem as if he had done this as an act of hate, which he had not. He had to tell Chloe himself and make her see that it had been purely accidental and that he hadn't intended to hit Derrick's car. If Chloe was to hate him, so be it, but he wasn't about to let someone paint him as the bad guy in all of this.

>>>>>

Alright, so, what did y'all think? It's not one of my favorite chapters, but I thought it needed to be written.I made this chapter a bit longer since you all have been waiting so long for it. Please review and tell me what you thought.

the different person: Killing off Derrick wasn't my only option, but it was the one that I wanted to go with. I think that it's gonna add a whole bunch of new problems for Chloe and Paris and Sark. Not to mention, I thrive off of drama. Lol. And as for Syd, I'm not sure what's going to all go on with her as of yet. All I know is that she's going to start being nicer, to everyone.

M.B: I, too, am anxious to see Sark reappear this season. But isn't it just aweful what they did to Vaughn?

DD2, Meaningful Exuberance, freakygirl, fieldranked, Lil Aussie AliasChick, goldenshadows, Eyghon, Marie, andAgent Pheonix:Thank you all so much for reviewing this story and for waiting so patiently for this chapter. You guysso totally rock!


	14. Rewriting the Story

Wow, I can't believe how long it took me to update. I am so sorry you guys. I will try my hardest not to let it be so long before I update again. You have my word. I don't have time to individually thank all of you who reviewed last chapter. Just know that I am very grateful for your encouragment and your wonderful words of praise. Now, you guys sit back and enjoy the chapter that you waited so patiently for.

Chapter Thirteen- **Rewriting the story**

Almost three months had passed since Derrick's death and life for Chloe and Paris was slowly but surely moving on. After that night when Chloe had told Paris the truth about Sark, mother and daughter had grown closer. The two made more of an effort to spend time together, knowing now that life was short.

Though Paris had been shocked at first, and didn't want to believe he was capable of it, when she'd learned what Sark had done to earn himself a place in prison, she slowly began to accept it. And Chloe was there for her, making it easier for Paris to accept the truth. But, though Chloe told Paris about the past, she never could find the courage to tell her daughter about what had transpired in the park three months ago. How could she tell Paris that she'd made Sark promise to stay away? After all, the girl was enamored by her father and would not take kindly to her mother forcing him to stay away. So, Chloe kept that part a secret.

"I'm going to Jade's after school." Paris called from her bedroom as she finished getting ready for school. "She asked if I could spend the night, too. So can I?"

"As long as you promise to behave and you guys get to sleep at a decent hour." Chloe called back. She was in the computer room, across the hall from Paris's bedroom.

The young girl rolled her eyes.

"I promise." She replied. A car honked in the driveway. Paris through her backpack on over her shoulder.

"That's Jade." Paris said, moving into the computer room. She kissed her mom on the forehead.

"Bye, Mom, I love you."

"Love you too." Chloe replied, kissing Paris on the cheek. "Have fun, okay."

"I will." Paris promised.

The car horn sounded again.

"Bye, Mom." She called as she ran towards the front door.

>>>>>

Chloe sat back from her computer as the front door closed. A finger- the nail chewed nearly to the skin and the polish chipped- tapped on the desk impatiently as the remaining pages of her story printed. It was done, finally. Chloe watched with a smile of satisfaction as the title page came out and the printer silenced. Finally she could shut her editors up about the deadline. Chloe's smile vanished swiftly only to be replaced by a deep frown. The story was finished, true, but the ending didn't sit right with her. She pulled the last page out from under the stack and read it over.

_He had come back, just as he'd said he would those three years ago. But things had changed so much in that time. _She _had changed. She knew, deep in her heart, that things could never return to the way they were. And that perhaps she shouldn't even try and make them return to how they had been. After all, love is never the same. It is always changing, always morphing into something new, something that no one can predict. And so the question remained in her heart and mind. Did she truly love him back then? Or had it all been merely a myth? And if so, did she really love him now?_

Her eyes roved over the words, taking in every detail. Something just wasn't right about it and she couldn't help think that she shouldn't even take it to her editors when she was so unhappy with it. Biting her lip, Chloe wheeled her chair over to the paper shredder. As the page went through, she couldn't help but feel somewhat sad. All that work, gone. But then again, it hadn't been her best work. It had been something written merely to subdue her editors.

_And why should I give them something I'm not happy with just so they won't bitch and complain?_ She wondered as she moved back over to the computer. She stared at the words on the screen only briefly before deleting, not just the last page, but the entire story.

A feeling of satisfaction came over her. Now was the time that she could rewrite the story. Not just the last page, but the whole thing.

>>>>>

"I want to see Sark." Syd's eyes widened at Chloe's words and she choked on her coffee. She could barely believe what she was hearing.

When Chloe had first called her that morning, asking to meet for coffee, Syd was happy. She hadn't seen Chloe since the funeral on account of her daughter holing herself up in the house and refusing to see anyone. But now, when she finally decided to end her stint as a hermit, she wanted to see Sark. Sydney couldn't believe it!

"What?" She asked, regaining her breath.

"I want to see him, Mom. I…I _have _to see him." Chloe said, her voice firm and resolute. Syd knew that there was no arguing with Chloe when she spoke like that.

"Why?" Out of all the questions that were floating through Sydney's mind, that was the first to come out.

"I don't know," Chloe shook her head, her eyes holding an imaginable sadness. "But what I do know is that ever since Derrick died I have been blaming myself for not loving him as much as I should have. And I guess…I don't know, but I guess I just want to know if I had reason for not giving him all he deserved."

"Chloe, I-" Syd was at a loss for words.

"I know that you hate him, Mom. And I know that you would rather rip off your own fingernails before allowing Sark into the same room as me. But please, do this for me." Chloe pleaded.

Syd sighed. She never really had been able to deny her daughter. She loved Chloe too much to do that. And besides, Sark had said that he wanted to be the one to tell Chloe that he was the reason that Derrick was dead. Perhaps this was his chance to do it. Syd knew that she hated herself for keeping it a secret this long. If Chloe didn't know soon, Sydney wasn't so sure she could keep the secret much longer.

"Alright," she relented with a sigh.

>>>>>

He'd been dreaming about her again. It happened nearly every time he fell asleep. He would dream of Chloe, that they were back together again. And then, just as they were getting closer, she would find out the truth. And she would hate him. He always woke from those dreams in a cold sweat, the hurt and angry look in Chloe's eyes haunting him even in wakefulness.

Sark shifted his position on the uncomfortable hospital bed. The doctors said he was mending nicely and that they had hopes he could leave the hospital soon.

After he'd been stable enough to leave the ICU, the CIA had moved him to their own hospital. One where the doctors were not only trained in medicine, but self-defense as well, and where guards stood at his door 24/7.

It was a lonely existence for Sark. And he couldn't wait to rid himself of it.

There was a knock on the door, and he pulled himself up into a sitting position; wincing as his slightly bruised, but healed ribs protested his movement.

"Come in." He said.

The door opened and Sydney walked in, her mouth set in its usual frown.

"How are you feeling today?" She asked. It was her standard question whenever she came to visit him.

"Like hell." He replied with a falsely cheerful smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of two visits in one week?"

"Chloe wants to see you." She said. Sark was sure he hadn't heard right. Why would Chloe want to see him? Surely Sydney, despite the fact that Sark had asked her not to, had told Chloe the truth. Hadn't she?

"Why?" He asked. Sydney surprised him by chuckling softly.

"That's exactly what I asked her." She replied. "But who knows why Chloe does anything?"

Sark felt a small smile tugging at his lips. That was quite true.

"I would have thought that she would hate me by now." Sark said. "I mean after you told her the truth and all."

"I told you I wouldn't tell her, and I haven't." Sydney snapped. "And that's why I'm letting her come and see you. You said you wanted to tell her, and now's your chance."

"But-" Sark was ready to protest it, he didn't want his dreams to become a reality.

"We'll be in tomorrow so you should start practicing what you're going to say." Sydney interrupted coldly before turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

>>>>>

Well, I hope this was worth the wait. I'm sorry again for how long it took me to update. I swear I did not mean for it to take so long. But y'all know how writer's block is. Sadly there is yet to be a cure for it. But when there is, I will be the first in line. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought.


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